F. Murray Fraser, BA, LL.B. '60, LL.M., LL.D. (Hon), QC

F. Murray Fraser, QC, exemplifies with distinction the Weldon Tradition of scholarship and public service.  Upon graduating from Dalhousie with a BA, he entered Dalhousie Law School, receiving his LLB in 1960.  He went on to serve and lead the Law School as a faculty member, as its first associate dean, and as its acting dean from 1971 to 1973.  The esteem in which he was held is represented by the Law Ring which he received from the Class of 1972.

In the meantime, Professor Fraser had acquired an LLM from the University of London,, completed articles with Lorne O. Clarke, in Truro, and Gordon F. Coles, in Halifax, practiced law with the firm of Rutledge, MacKeigan, Cox & Downie, and taught at the Faculty of Law of Queen’s University.

In 1974 Professor Fraser took the Weldon Tradition to the West as the founding dean of the Law School at the University of Victoria.  The Law School opened its doors in 1975, with 9 faculty, 70 students and 5,000 books.  By 1980, it had 18 faculty, 225 students and 93,000 books.  Professor Fraser is now Vice-President Academic of the University of Victoria, and its thriving Law School and successful law graduates are an enduring testimonial to his talent, dedication and foresight.

Throughout his career, Professor Fraser has served his profession and his community as an effective administrator, inspiring educator and respected leader.  In the Atlantic Provinces, he has been a frequent consultant to government.  In Nova Scotia, he was commissioned by the Minister of Social Service to prepare a Special Report on Protection Services For Children and was a member of the Attorney-General’s Commission on Legal Aid.  He was a founding member of the Dalhousie Legal Aid Society, a member of the Law Reform Advisory Commission, and a commissioner appointed under the Human Rights Act.  He was a director of the Halifax Family Service bureau, a director and president of the Halifax YMCA and a director and executive committee member of the Neptune Theatre Foundation.

Nationally, Professor Fraser has been a consultant to the Law Reform Commission of Canada, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Department of Justice.  He served on the executive of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers and was chairman of the Committee of Canadian Law Deans.  He is a Fellow of the Foundation for Legal Research, a former governor of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a vice-president of the Canadian Section of the International Commission of Jurists and a founding member of Mediation Canada.  Having formerly been a director, he is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth.

In British Columbia, Professor Fraser served as an advisor to the Royal Commission on Family and Children’s Law, a policy advisor to the Law Society, and a consultant to the Law Foundation.  He was a founding and executive committee member of the Victoria Law Centre.  He was also a trustee of the Queen Alexandra Hospital for Children and is currently a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific.  His good judgment, compassionate understanding and selfless energy, continue to be sought after and relied upon.

In addition to his own writing, Professor Fraser is a member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Family Law and served on the Committee on Research and Education in Law of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Always faithful to his Dalhousie roots, Professor Fraser has been a director and national president of the Dalhousie Alumni Association and is currently an executive member of the B.C. Branch of the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association.

With his wife Anne, Professor Fraser has three sons.  His personal and professional achievements have never diminished his devotion to his family.  His dynamic career is an honour to the Weldon Tradition.