Emmett Hall

Emmett Matthew Hall was born in Quebec to Irish Catholic parents and moved to Saskatoon as a boy, graduating in law from the University of Saskatchewan alongside his classmate John Diefenbaker. Appointed Chief Justice of Saskatchewan in 1957, he served on the Supreme Court of Canada from 1962 to 1973.

In 1961, Prime Minister Diefenbaker appointed Hall to chair the Royal Commission on Health Services. Hall's historic 1964 report stunned conservative critics by recommending a comprehensive, universal, publicly administered national health insurance plan, declaring that healthcare is a fundamental human right. His legal vision became the blueprint for Canadian Medicare.