Justice Al Hamilton who died July 27, will be best known as Commissioner of Manitoba's Aboriginal Justice Inquiry. However, Hamilton had several other important accomplishments both personal and for the province.
WINNIPEG, MB-Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Commissioner and a former Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench associate chief justice Al Hamilton died on July 27 at the age of 87.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Hamilton became a lawyer and then court justice helping the province create its family court division. Perhaps his greatest achievement and the one he will be best remembered for was being co-commissioner along with Murray Sinclair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry (AJI).
Hamilton and his wife, Lorna, lived in Dauphin, Roblin, Winnipeg, Melita, and Brandon where he became chairman of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees. He also helped create Brandon's Indian-Métis Friendship Centre.
Following the death of J.J. Harper, an Aboriginal fatally shot by a Winnipeg police constable in 1988, Manitoba set up the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and asked Hamilton and Justice Murray Sinclair, a provincial court judge, to be co-commissioners of the inquiry. The inquiry studied the relationship between Manitoba Aboriginals and the justice system.
Included in their study was the 1971 death of Helen Betty Osborne in The Pas which sparked outrage throughout the province and country.
The AJI took three years to complete its work and in 2001, Hamilton authored his memoir entitled A Feather, Not A Gavel, in which he criticized the government for not acting on the majority of recommendations in the AJI report.
In 2001, Hamilton told the Winnipeg Free Press "I used to say it would take 25 years to change. I now say 100 years because of the pace it's going."
Hamilton went on to say, "I'm trying to be a little more persuasive this time so hopefully the government will get onside to recognize they haven't been giving proper legal services to Aboriginals in the north."
Commissioner Hamilton retired in 1993 and shortly after that received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Winnipeg.
He leaves behind his wife of 62 years, and four children.
