Claude R. Thomson (September 30, 1933 – November 24, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer in Toronto, Ontario. He was a well-known courtroom lawyer, and also a pioneer of alternative dispute resolution in Canada, including mediation and arbitration. He served as the president of the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
Early life, family and education
Thomson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1933, the son of William Thomson, a civil engineer with the provincial department of highways, and Cecile Morency. His mother was francophone but would not speak in French to her son in public, fearing it would hold him back.
His family moved to Ottawa when he was young, where he attended St Patrick's College. He won the Canadian University Debating Championship, arguing that communist China should be admitted to the United Nations. The then mayor of Ottawa, Charlotte Whitton, awarded him the prize of a gold ring. Thomson attended Osgoode Hall Law School, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree.
He and his wife, Rosemary, were married in 1958 and had five children Marguerite, Brendan, Christopher, Kelley and Campbell.
Legal career
Lawyers and integrity
Thomson was once asked what was the most important quality for a lawyer. His immediate answer was integrity: "The single most important quality of a top advocate is a well earned reputation for integrity. The reputation will help to attract clients, allow one to engage in productive and efficient dealings with other members of the profession, and perhaps most importantly, will help to pry open the sense of justice in the most closed minded judge."
General litigation and arbitration
After articling with a noted litigation lawyer in Toronto, Malcolm Robb, Thomson was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1958 and to the bar of Saint Helena in 1963. Thomson spent most of his legal career as a general litigator and partner with the law firm Fasken Martineau in Toronto, developing a reputation as an intense courtroom lawyer with formidable tactical skills, and acted for parties in a large number of high-profile cases. Later in his career, he developed a practice in mediation and arbitration. He eventually left Fasken Martineau to join ADR Chambers International in Toronto, an international arbitration group. He became a Chartered Arbitrator and acted as an international arbitrator and mediator.
Murder case on Ascension Island
In 1963, an American engineer was charged with murder at an American missile base on the British overseas territory of Ascension Island in the south Atlantic. Thomson was asked to defend him. The trial occurred on the island of Saint Helena, eight hundred miles to the south of Ascension Island. The chief justice of Uganda presided over the trial. Thomson's client was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment, which he served in England.
Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police In the 1970s, information came to light about illegal activities by the RCMP Security Service. The federal government appointed a royal commission of inquiry, chaired by Justice McDonald, to investigate the allegations and to make recommendations. Thomson was retained by the RCMP to represent them at the commission hearings.
Inquiry into deaths at Sick Children Hospital
In 1980–81, a number of children died at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Concerns were raised that they were being poisoned, leading to a provincial inquiry into the deaths. Thomson acted for one of the nurses who came under suspicion, vigorously defending her and chastising the commissioner, Justice Samuel Grange, for putting her under trial in the court of public opinion. He also engaged in public relations on behalf of his client, appearing on a CBC radio programme, Cross-Country Checkup, to explain his client's position. His client was not charged in the matter.