G. Arthur Martin

Goldwin[lower-alpha 1] Arthur Martin CC QC (17 May 1913 – 26 February 2001) was a Canadian lawyer and judge who was known as an expert on criminal law. He was a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario from 1973 to 1988.

Goldwin Arthur Martin
Martin in 1938, on his graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School
Martin in 1938, on his graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School
Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada
In office
1970–1971
Preceded byWilliam Goldwin Carrington Howland
Succeeded bySydney Lewis Robins
Justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario
In office
1973–1988
Personal details
Born(1913-05-17)17 May 1913
Huntsville, Ontario, Canada
Died26 February 2001(2001-02-26) (aged 87)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationJudge
Known forCriminal law

Early life and education

Martin was born on 17 May 1913 in Huntsville, Ontario.[1] He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1938 as gold medallist.[2] He was called to the bar of Ontario in June of that year and to the bar of British Columbia in 1950.[3][2]

Career

Martin became a defence lawyer in 1940. He represented 60 people charged with murder and none were convicted of murder, although some were convicted of other offences.[1] He was elected treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1970. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 1973, and retired in 1988.[4]

John Arnup called Martin "the greatest criminal lawyer this country has produced".[5] As a criminal defender, Martin developed techniques including the use of expert witnesses and the insanity defence.[4]

In 1993, Martin chaired a royal commission on the use of plea bargaining in Ontario. The commission's recommendations enhanced the reputation of plea bargains, which had earlier been viewed with some suspicion by lawyers and judges.[6]

Martin died on 26 February 2001 in Toronto.[7][8]

Awards

He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1991 and became a companion in 1997.[1] He received honorary doctorates of law from Queen's University and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

The Ontario Criminal Lawyers' Association presents the G. Arthur Martin Criminal Justice Medal for an outstanding contribution to criminal justice.[9]

Notes
  1. Martin's name is sometimes spelled "Goldwyn". It is rendered "Goldwin" here as it appears in Martin's Order of Canada citation and in the title of his archival records housed at the Law Society of Ontario.
  1. "Ontario Justice Was Renowned Canada-Wide". National Post. 14 March 2001. p. 18 – via newspapers.com.
  2. Arnup 1988, p. 116.
  3. Lonn, George (1976). Faces of Canada. Toronto: Pitt Publishing Co Ltd. pp. 262–264. OCLC 1034665261.
  4. Moore, Christopher (2014). The Court of Appeal for Ontario: Defining the Right of Appeal, 1792–2013. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 251–252. doi:10.3138/9781442622470. ISBN 978-1-4426-2247-0. JSTOR 10.3138/j.ctt1287q35.
  5. Arnup 1988, p. 114.
  6. Ireland, David (2014). "Bargaining for Expedience? The Overuse of Joint Recommendations on Sentence". Manitoba Law Journal. 38 (1): 275.
  7. Makin, Kirk (1 March 2001). "The law 'was his love and it consumed him'". The Globe and Mail. p. R8. ProQuest 1125719175.
  8. "Died: Goldwyn Arthur Martin". Maclean's. 114 (11): 11. 12 March 2001. ProQuest 218479489.
  9. "Awards". Criminal Lawyers' Association. Retrieved 14 November 2021.

Sources
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