Thomas Norris

See Government Records and Legal History column.

T.G. Norris was Eikichi Kagetsu's lawyer during the Bird Commission, and for other matters. Also dealt with the property case of the Hompa Buddhist Temple (Kagetsu was President). Thomas Grantham Norris was born in Victoria, BC on September 14, 1893. He was educated in Victoria and articled at the firm of Barnard, Robertson & Heisterman. Norris was called to the British Columbia bar in 1919, following active duty in WWI. He was a distinguished military man, having received the Military Cross and Bar. In WWII he served as Deputy Judge Advocate General from 1941 to 1945 and was the Senior Canadian Legal Officer for the Northwest Theatre of Operations. Thomas Norris practiced primarily in Kelowna and Vernon, serving as counsel for the Soldier Settlement Board for a period and then establishing a firm with his partner, J. Arthur MacLennan. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 1932. In 1959, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia - a position that he had actively sought for several years. In 1960, he was promoted to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.