James Alexander MacDonald

{{Short description|Canadian lawyer, judge and politician}}

{{about||the Ontario newspaper editor|James A. Macdonald|the Scottish botanist|James Alexander MacDonald (botanist)}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}

James Alexander MacDonald (October 1858 – December 20, 1939{{cite web |url=http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-4E75D75/view/Deaths/find-adv%2B%20callnumber=%28%221939-09-565624%22%20%29%20AND%20microfilm=%28b13167%29%20%2B%2B%2B%2B/1 |title=Vital Event Death Registration |publisher=BC Archives |accessdate=2011-08-22 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Rossland City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1903 to 1909 as a Liberal.{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf |title=Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986 |publisher=Elections BC |accessdate=2011-07-16}} MacDonald was the first leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party, serving from 1903 until 1909.{{cite web|url=http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/leaders_of_the_opposition.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220035338/http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/leaders_of_the_opposition.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-02-20 |title=Leaders of the Opposition in British Columbia 1903- |publisher=BC Legislature |accessdate=2011-08-24 }}

He was born in Huron County, Canada West and was educated in Stratford, Ontario, at the University of Toronto and at Osgoode Hall. MacDonald first set up practice in Toronto in 1890 and then moved to Rossland, British Columbia in 1896. He married Mary Richardson. In 1909, he was named Chief Justice in the British Columbia Court of Appeal. MacDonald served as Chief Justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court from 1929 until his retirement in 1937.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aZz213hdj3EC&pg=PA139 |title=Lords of the North |last=McDonell |first=James K |author2=Campbell, Robert Bennett |page=139 |year=1997 |ISBN=1-896182-71-2 |publisher=GeneralStore PublishingHouse |accessdate=2011-08-24}} He died two years later in Victoria at the age of 81.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42322835/exchief_justice_called_to_rest/ |title=Ex-chief Justice Called to Rest |work=Victoria Daily Times |page=12 |date=1939-12-21 |access-date=2020-01-14 |via=Newspapers.com}}