Queen's Law alumnus Thomas Cromwell (Mus ‘73, Law '76) has been appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the Supreme Court of Canada. A highly respected jurist who has served on the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal since 1997, he is the first Queen's Law graduate to sit on Canada's highest court.

“Justice Cromwell has long been a tremendous friend and supporter of Queen's Law,” says Dean Bill Flanagan. “All of us at the Faculty are simply thrilled with this appointment, our first graduate to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. A distinguished academic and jurist, whose writings are widely admired throughout the country for their balance, clarity and intelligence, Justice Cromwell will make great contributions to the work of the Court.”

Justice Cromwell's appointment restores the Supreme Court to its full complement of nine judges after an eight-month vacancy.  He replaces Justice Michel Bastarache, who retired at the end of the court's spring session this year. 

After graduating from Queen's Law, Justice Cromwell, a Kingston native, went on to Oxford University, where he received a B.C.L. in 1977. He taught Civil Procedure as a sessional instructor at Queen's Law from 1980 to 1982 and served as a University Council member at Queen's from 1990 to 1993.

A former faculty member at Dalhousie Law School and practitioner, Justice Cromwell has also served on numerous national and provincial committees. His service includes terms as chair of the Canadian Forum for Civil Justice and as president of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, the Canadian Association of Law Teachers and the Continuing Legal Education Society of Nova Scotia. For three years, Justice Cromwell served as the executive legal officer in the Supreme Court for former chief justice Antonio Lamer.