Elmer Driedger


Elmer A. Driedger, was a Canadian lawyer and a leading authority on statutory interpretation. He worked for the Canadian Department of Justice for over a quarter century, rising to Deputy Minister and later became a professor of law at the University of Ottawa.

Early life

Elmer A. Driedger was born in Osler, Saskatchewan, 14 January 1913 to a Mennonite family and grew up speaking German as well as English. He attended elementary school in Osler and high school in Rosthern.

Education

His principle of statutory interpretation is the Supreme Court of Canada's preferred approach. The principle, which was originally laid out in his 1974 book, The Construction of Statutes, was quoted verbatim in the court's decision in Rizzo & Rizzo Shoes Ltd.:
The Construction of Statutes became an influential text in Canadian legal circles. A second edition was published in 1983. Following Driedger's death, Ruth Sullivan, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, substantially revised Driedger's text in the third edition published in 1994. A fourth edition was published in 2002, and a fifth edition in 2008. Sullivan has become so closely associated with the updated edition of the book that it has since been retitled, Sullivan on the Construction of Statutes.

Family

Driedger was married to Elsie Driedger. and had two sons, Alan and Thomas Norman

Awards

He was a recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in 1963.

Books and articles