Honourable Justice Randal Wong

A pioneer in Canadian Law, the Honourable Justice Randall Wong is a third generation Chinese Canadian born and raised in Vancouver. His family connection to the city and province can be traced back to the late 1800’s, with his grandfather employed as a Canadian Pacific Railway construction builder, and his maternal grandparents settling in Vancouver in 1880.

Randall received his business degree (1965) and law degree (1966) from the University of British Columbia. He served as the first Chinese Canadian provincial and federal Crown Counsel (1967) and became a BC Provincial Court judge in 1974. In 1981, he became the first Chinese Canadian federally appointed judge for the BC County Court. In 1990, he was promoted to the Canada’s Supreme Court, serving the Supreme Courts of British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut’s Court of Justice until retirement in 2016. With 42 years of service, he holds the title of being the longest-serving judge in BC history. His notable contributions include serving on the Board of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges (1976-1981), serving as the National Continuing Judicial Education Chair responsible for professional training and curricula for all Provincial Court Judges, and as a member of the Federal Canadian Sentencing Commission on sentencing reform (1981-1984), with many of its recommendations later incorporated in the Criminal Code of Canada. Throughout his career, he also mentored many lawyers in their continuing legal education.

Outside the field of law, Randall is also involved in the Chinese Canadian veteran community. He is the honourary president and associate member of the Chinatown Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans Unit 280, and the current president of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum. He was also appointed as founding honourary patron of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver in 1973.

Randall’s family consists of his wife, two daughters, and four grandsons. He spends his free time participating in senior centre activities with his wife, travelling, and taking university courses on Chinese Canadian history and World War II.