Vancouver civil rights activists mourn death of BC's first Black judge
A prominent British Columbian has died, and many are expressing their condolences over his passing and reflecting on his legacy.
Selwyn Romilly made history as the first Black judge in British Columbia. He served as a provincial court judge from 1974 and later as a BC Supreme Court Justice until he retired in 2015, and has received awards for his contribution to law, human rights, and the Black community in BC.
Justice Selwyn Romilly, the first Black person to be appointed as a judge in B.C., died last Friday from cancer. Appointed to the provincial court in 1974, in 1995 he was named a B.C. Supreme Court justice. He was a UBC grad: @UBC_Arts 1963 and @AllardLaw 1966. pic.twitter.com/0ZwmhcIlnt
— UBC Archives (@UBCArchives) September 26, 2023
He died on Friday at the age of 83.
Hogan’s Alley Society, a non-profit organization in Vancouver that aims to bring awareness to the presence of Black history in the city and the province, shared an emotional message online about the man.
“Throughout his career, he championed justice, equality, and diversity within the legal profession. His contributions were instrumental in breaking down barriers and fostering inclusivity in the judicial system,” the society wrote on Facebook.
In 2021, Romilly was wrongfully handcuffed and detained while walking the seawall in English Bay as officers searched for a suspect in an assault investigation.
Following the incident, former mayor Kennedy Stewart apologized on behalf of the city and the officers, calling it “unacceptable” and condemned systemic racism.
Watch: Selwyn Romilly on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Hogan’s Alley Society is composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers, academics and more and is named after the neighbourhood which many Black Vancouverites called home for decades.
However, the community was displaced following the construction of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.