Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to pay tribute to a most distinguished citizen in the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Mr. Justice Mark de Weerdt. Justice de Weerdt recently retired from the position of Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories, a position he held for 15 years. Justice de Weerdt is much respected in court circles. He and his wife, Anne, are admired as fine citizens of the Northwest Territories.
His history in the Northwest Territories stretches back several decades. He is the third judge of the Supreme Court of the NWT and he succeeded two other great northern judges: Judge Jack Sissons, the first judge to serve the NWT and known as "the flying judge of the North;" and, William Morrow. History will remember these three judges as the pioneers of the northern justice system.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Justice de Weerdt served as a lawyer who argued cases in courts all across the North. He experienced many of the challenges that were present in the fledgling days when the NWT court system was finding its feet. This required him to sometimes argue for both the Crown and the defence in the same case. He handled, with much sympathy, the many misunderstandings caused by differences in culture. Consequently, he earned great respect in the communities.
Justice de Weerdt was always wise and ready to give sage advice on all legal matters. As well as performing his judicial duties, he was often asked for advice and opinions on many legal matters because he had a reputation for giving sound and comprehensive points of view. He was very concerned that a proper justice system designed especially for this diverse Territory be developed and he helped contribute to this in many ways. He understood that the Canadian system of justice was alien to the life of many aboriginal groups. He recognized that they were moving inordinately towards a western 20th-century lifestyle which encompasses the federal justice system.
He always made an effort to explain and justify the workings of this justice system to the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.