Hon. Mr. Justice Robert W. Leurer

The Honourable Robert W. Leurer is Chief Justice of Saskatchewan. He was appointed to this position in 2023 after serving for five years on the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan. Previously, Chief Justice Leurer served as a judge of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 2017, Chief Justice Leurer was a senior litigation partner with MLT Aikins LLP. Although his practice was focused on product liability and class actions, it extended widely to commercial, insurance, personal injury, privacy, constitutional and administrative law. He argued cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court, and courts throughout Western Canada. He was lead plaintiffs counsel in the largest individual personal injury jury award in Saskatchewan legal history, and in a key constitutional law case involving school funding, which was described by the trial judge as one of the most significant lawsuits in the provinces history.

Chief Justice Leurer attended McGill University for his undergraduate education and obtained his law degree in 1984 from the University of Saskatchewan, where he was the Law Society of Saskatchewan Gold Medalist. Upon graduating, he clerked for Justice W.Z. Estey of the Supreme Court of Canada, following which he returned to Saskatchewan where he was called to the bar in 1986. He practiced his entire legal career prior to his appointment at MLT Aikins (as the firm is now known).

Chief Justice Leurer serves on the Canadian Judicial Council and the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies. He has served as President of the Canadian Bar Association, Saskatchewan Branch, and as Regional Chair for the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute. He was a member of the Canadian Bar Association National Class Actions Task Force and has been a frequent lecturer at national and regional legal conferences.

In addition to being named as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, prior to his appointment as a judge, Chief Justice Leurer was recognized in Chambers, Best Lawyers in Canada, Best Lawyers in America and The Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory for notable performance in Class Actions, Insurance Law and Commercial Litigation.

Aside from his professional commitments, Chief Justice Leurer has also been actively involved in his community, serving on the Luther College (Regina) Board of Regents and as a director of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club.

In recognition of his professional capabilities and contributions to his community and profession he was appointed Queens Counsel in 2003.

He is married with four adult daughters and many grandchildren.