James Jerome, Commons speaker in Trudeau years and senior judge, dead 72

[auntAgonist]

OTTAWA (CP) - James Jerome, who won wide respect as Speaker of the House of Commons in the 1970s and went on to serve for nearly two decades as associate chief justice of Federal Court, has died.

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Prime Minister Paul Martin, in a statement Sunday, paid tribute to Jerome as a dedicated and able parliamentarian, noting his mastery of House procedure, his reputation for fairness and impartiality, and his "deep commitment to Parliament as a fundamental institution of Canadian democracy."

*snip*

He became the first-ever member of an opposition party to preside over the House during the short-lived Conservative government of Joe Clark in 1979.

Trudeau appointed Jerome in 1980 to the post of associate chief justice and head of the trial division of Federal Court, where he served for 18 years. His departure, however, was marred by controversy in 1998.

Jerome resigned after coming under fire from Justice Department lawyers for slow handling of three deportation cases against alleged Nazi collaborators from the Second World War. The dispute sparked reforms to streamline court administration and speed up the hearing of cases.

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http://www.therecord.com/news/national/n082149A.html

[Maple]

1. I think your headline needs changing

[auntAgonist]

2. I was in the process of doing that

:)

Too many characters so it cut off the '2'

[Maple]

3. LOL okay

I know there's a time limit on changes, but have no idea how long it is...and that did look odd. :D