The Honourable Télesphore Fournier, P.C.

Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada from September 30, 1875 until September 11, 1895.

Télesphore Fournier was born in Saint-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Lower Canada (Quebec), on August 5, 1823. He was the son of Guillaume Fournier and Marie-Archange Morin. After graduating from the Séminaire de Nicolet, he began his legal training in 1842 in the office of René-Édouard Caron. Called to the bar in 1846, he established his practice in Quebec City and later became president of the provincial bar. His interest in politics led him to launch a newspaper, Le National, in 1855, and to run for political office. He was a member of Parliament from 1870 to 1875 and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1871 to 1873 (at the time, it was possible to hold more than one office). At the federal level, he served as Minister of Inland Revenue, Minister of Justice and Postmaster General. On April 8, 1875, when he was Minister of Justice, the bill creating the Supreme Court of Canada was adopted. He was appointed to the Court on September 30, 1875 and served on it for 20 years before his retirement on September 12, 1895. Justice Fournier died on May 10, 1896, at the age of 72.