Leonard S. Marchand

Almost 50 years after earning his Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering at UBC, Chief Justice Leonard S. Marchand reached a landmark in a career unrelated to engineering: he was appointed Chief Justice of BC, Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal for BC, and Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon.

After graduating in 1986, Chief Justice Marchand worked in the oil industry for several years. He then attended law school at the University of Victoria, graduating in 1994. He practised at Fulton & Company in Kamloops, focusing on public authority liability. His commitment to reconciliation led him to work on the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, as well as on the Independent Assessment Process and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Selection Committee. 

In 2013, Chief Justice Marchand joined the Provincial Court, where he presided in Cknucwentn Court in Kamloops, developing, with input from Elders, healing plans for Indigenous offenders. He joined the Supreme Court in 2017 and the Courts of Appeal for British Columbia and of Yukon in 2021. 

A proud Syilx and member of the Okanagan Indian Band, he divides his time between Kamloops and Vancouver and is devoted to his wife, Laurie, and their children and grandchildren.