IN MEMORIAM
The Honourable Allan McEachern
May 20, 1926 - January 10, 2008
 The Honourable Allan McEachern, who passed away on January 11, 2008 at the age of 81, will be remembered for his outstanding contributions to the legal profession and his long-standing service to the University of British Columbia.
Mr. McEachern became UBC's 16th chancellor in 2002. He graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949, a law degree in 1950 and was given an honorary doctor of Laws degree in 1990. He was Douglas McK. Brown Visiting Professor and Peter Wall Distinguished Fellow in the Faculty of Law from September 2001 until June 2002 when he resigned these appointments upon being elected Chancellor.
Mr. McEachern practiced law with the leading Vancouver law firm of Russell and DuMoulin for 28 years since being called to the bar in 1951. He became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1979. In 1988 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Appeal Court of British Columbia and retired from that position in May 2001. Later that year he returned to the practice of law at his former firm, now called Fasken Martineau DuMoulin.
His career as Chief Justice in both courts was distinguished by his reform of court procedure and for bringing the Canadian legal system closer to the public by being the first judge in Canada to host his own web site, which invited the public to e-mail their questions about the legal system. In addition, he chaired the Legal Aid Society from 1975 to 1976 and served from 1996 to 2001 as vice-chair of the Canadian Judicial Council, the body responsible for dealing with issues relating to the performance of federally appointed judges in Canada.
Mr. McEachern also served as a Director of the Vancouver Bar Association, President of the Legal Aid Society, Bencher of the Law Society and a member of the Council of the Canadian Bar Association, President of the B.C. Lions, President of the Canadian Football League, Commissioner in the Canadian Football League and Ethics Commissioner for VANOC.
Memorial services were held in honour of Chancellor McEachern on February 6 in the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and on January 25 in the Great Hall of the Law Courts Building in Vancouver.
A scholarship in Chancellor Allan McEachern's name has been established at the Faculty of Law. Those wishing to make a donation may do so by contacting Jane Westheuse, Major Gifts Officer, UBC Faculty of Law, 1822 East Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z1.
For more information, please contact Jane Westheuser at 604-822-6266.
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In the Fall of 2001, Chancellor McEachern was featured in The Gryphon, the UBC Law School’s Alumni Magazine at the time. Please click HERE to read the full article. |
Premier’s Statement
Statement from UBC President Stephen J. Toope and Brad Bennett, Chair, Board of Governors
Online tributes
In the news
Photos
UBC Chancellor McEachern was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UBC in 1990
Martha Piper, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi and UBC Chancellor Allan McEachern in 2004
UBC Chancellor McEachern and Brad Bennett at the opening of UBC Okanagan in 2005
Chancellor McEachern, 2007
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