{{Short description|Canadian judge}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Leonard Marchand | office1 = Chief Justice of British Columbia and Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon | term_start1 = December 8, 2023 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Robert J. Bauman | successor1 = | nominator1 = Justin Trudeau{{efn|On the recommendation of Minister of Justice Arif Virani.}} | appointer1 = Mary Simon | office2 = Puisne Justice of the British Columbia Court of Appeal | term_start2 = March 24, 2021 | term_end2 = December 8, 2023 | nominator2 = Justin Trudeau{{efn|On the recommendation of Minister of Justice David Lametti.}} | appointer2 = Richard Wagner{{efn|As Administrator of the Government while the office of Governor General was vacant.}} | 1blankname2 = District | 1namedata2 = Vancouver | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | office3 = Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia | term_start3 = June 21, 2017 | term_end3 = March 24, 2021 | nominator3 = Justin Trudeau{{efn|On the recommendation of Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould.}} | appointer3 = David Johnston | 1blankname3 = District | 1namedata3 = Kelowna | predecessor3 = | successor3 = | office4 = Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia | term_start4 = 2013 | term_end4 = 2017 | nominator4 = | appointer4 = | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | alma_mater = University of Victoria | profession = Lawyer }}
'''Leonard Marchand''' is the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia and Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon. Since the Court of Appeal is the highest court in British Columbia, the position can be titled as simply the "Chief Justice of British Columbia." He is the first person of Indigenous (First Nations) identity to hold the post of Chief Justice.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 8, 2023 |title=Prime Minister announces appointment of new Chief Justice of British Columbia |url=https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/12/08/prime-minister-announces-appointment-new-chief-justice-british |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Prime Minister of Canada |language=en}}</ref> He is the son of Donna Marchand (nee Parr) and politician Leonard Marchand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Pete |title=Justice Len Marchand Jr. appointed to B.C. Court of Appeal |url=https://vernonmatters.ca/2021/03/24/justice-len-marchand-jr-appointed-to-b-c-court-of-appeal/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=Vernon Matters |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life == Marchand is Syilx and a member of the Okanagan Indian Band. He grew up in Kamloops, B.C.<ref name="allard.ubc.ca">{{Cite web |title=Indigenous Awareness Month: Keynote Address by Justice Leonard Marchand {{!}} Peter A. Allard School of Law |url=https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/indigenous-awareness-month-keynote-address-justice-leonard-marchand#:~:text=Justice%20Len%20Marchand,%20Jr.%20is,1991%20and%20graduated%20in%201994. |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=allard.ubc.ca}}</ref>
He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1986 with a B.A.Sc. in chemical engineering. He worked in the oil industry for five years before attending law school at the University of Victoria, graduating in 1994.<ref name=":0"/>
== Career == From 1995 to 2013, he practiced law at Fulton & Company LLP in Kamloops, where his practice focused on the liability of public authorities, including by advancing civil claims for abuses suffered by residential school survivors.<ref name="allard.ubc.ca"/>
Notably, in 2005, he helped negotiate and was a signatory to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Department of Justice |date=2021-03-24 |title=Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2021/03/minister-of-justice-and-attorney-general-of-canada-announces-judicial-appointments-in-the-province-of-british-columbia.html |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> He served on the Oversight Committee for the Independent Assessment Process and on the Chief Adjudicator's Reference Group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=General |first=Attorney |date=2013-08-02 |title=B.C. appoints new provincial court judge {{!}} BC Gov News |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2013JAG0244-001217 |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=news.gov.bc.ca |language=en}}</ref>
Marchand was asked to serve on the Selection Committee to make recommendations on appointments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.<ref name=":0" />
In 2013, he was appointed to the Provincial Court of British Columbia. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2017. He also presided in Kamloops Cknucwentn First Nations Sentencing Court in Kamloops.<ref name="allard.ubc.ca"/> In 2021, he was appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.<ref name=":0" />
In December 2023, Marchand was appointed Chief Justice of British Columbia and the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=Prime Minister announces appointment of new Chief Justice of British Columbia |url=http://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/12/08/prime-minister-announces-appointment-new-chief-justice-british |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Prime Minister of Canada |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{notelist}} {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marchand, Leonard Jr}} Category:Judges in British Columbia Category:University of British Columbia alumni Category:University of Victoria alumni Category:Syilx people Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) {{Improve categories|date=March 2023}}