W. C. J. Meredith

William Campbell James Meredith, known as W. C. J. Meredith, was a prominent Canadian jurist born on February 6, 1904, in Montreal, Quebec. He was the only son of Frederick Edmund Meredith and Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet, and his lineage included the esteemed jurist William Collis Meredith as his grandfather. Meredith's educational journey took him across the Atlantic, where he attended Summer Fields School, Wellington College in Berkshire, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He also enriched his studies with a year at the University of Grenoble in France.

Meredith's legal career was marked by significant achievements. He became a senior partner in his father's law firm and was appointed King's Counsel in nineteen forty-two. His expertise in litigation led to his selection as the special federal prosecutor in the high-profile trial of Fred Rose. Beyond his legal practice, he served as governor of Selwyn House School and Bishop's University, showcasing his commitment to education and community service.

In nineteen fifty, he was persuaded by John Wilson McConnell, the Governor of McGill University, to assume the role of Dean of the Faculty of Law, a position he held until his passing in nineteen sixty. During his tenure, he was instrumental in establishing McGill's Institute of Air Space Law, notably hiring John Cobb Cooper to lead the new department in nineteen fifty-one.

On a personal note, Meredith married Marie-Berthe-Louise-Francoise Martin in nineteen thirty-five, and they had one son before their divorce in nineteen forty-nine, which was finalized by a private act of Parliament. Outside of his professional life, he was an amateur radio enthusiast and enjoyed tennis and skiing, having been a member of the Montreal Hunt in his youth. W. C. J. Meredith passed away in nineteen sixty in Montreal and is interred at Mount Royal Cemetery. In his honor, the Meredith Memorial Lectures at McGill University were established.