Court Systems From 1878 To Present Day
Stipendiary Magistrate System Was Practically First Style of Court
The Early Districts
Changes Were Made In Years 1887 And 1907 As Well As This Year
Regina Morning Leader
March 2, 1918. p.12
In the summer of 1878 the Dominion government of that day passed an act which had as its preamble the following: “Whereas it is expedient to provide for the administration of civil law in the North West Territories, be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governor of the N.W.T. in Council as follows.”
It was under this act that the N.W.T. changed from what might be called the frontier method of administering justice to a more modern way. Under the act referred to three judicial districts were formed in the north west, the Saskatchewan district, the Bow River district and the Qu’Appelle district and in each of these districts was a stipendiary magistrate. These magistrates were: Hugh Richardson (afterward Hon. Hugh Richardson) J. F. Macleod (afterward Hon. J. F. Macleod) and J. Travis.
The Judicial Districts
From 1878 down to 1887 this system of stipendiary magistrates remained in force. In 1887, however, the Territories were again divided, this time into five judicial districts and a supreme court was constituted. It is, however, interesting to note the boundaries of the three districts of 1878. The Saskatchewan district took in all the territories bounded on the west, south and west by Alaska and British Columbia; on the southwest, south and southeast by the Red Deer river, the south branch of the Saskatchewan river and the Saskatchewan river from the junction of the two branches until the river strikes the district of Keewatin; on the east by Keewatin; on the north by the natural boundary of the territories. The Bow River district was all that part of the territories bounded on the north by the Red Deer river and south branch of the Saskatchewan river flowing east until the 108th meridian west longitude is reached; on the east by the 108th meridian west longitude; on the south by the southern boundary of the territories; on the west by British Columbia. The Qu’Appelle district was bounded on the east by the district of Keewatin and the province of Manitoba; on the south by the southern boundary of the territories; on the west by the 108th meridian west longitude, south of the Saskatchewan river; on the northwest and north by the south branch of the main Saskatchewan river.
The N. W. T. Courts
As is stated above the stipendiary magistrate system remained in force until 1887 when the territories were divided into five judicial districts and a supreme court of the N. W. T. was constituted. This court consisted of Hon. Hugh Richardson, Hon. J. F. Macleod, Hon. C. B. Rouleau and Hon. E. L. Wetmore. With the creation of this court the old stipendiary magistrate system, with appeal to the jurisdiction of the Manitoba court of Queen’s Bench was abolished.
Both Judge Richardson and Judge Macleod were stipendiary magistrates, the former from 1876 down to 1887 and the latter from 1880 to 1887. Judge Richardson presided over the trial of Louis Riel, was official adviser to lieutenant governors Laird and Dewdnew and was administrator during the regime of lieutenant governor Malcolm Colin Cameron when he was taken ill.
Since 1907
In 1907, however, another change was made. On September 16 of that year the new Supreme Court of Saskatchewan, with its supreme court en banc, was created, consisting of five judges, resident at Regina. At this time the province was divided into eight districts with district courts and judges. The supreme court judges were: Hon. E. L. Wetmore, chief justice, Judges H. W. Newlands, J. S. P. Prendergast (now on the Manitoba bench), T. C. Johnston (deceased) and J. H. Lamont. This judicial system has obtained from 1907 until yesterday when the new Court of King’s Bench and Court of Appeal came into being.
