Biography

The Honourable Mr. Justice B. Richard Bell

Mr. Justice Bell was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick. He is the son of Faye Bell (née McHatten) and the late Arthur Bell. Justice Bell is married to Maureen Deanna (née Greer) Bell. He and Maureen are the proud parents of five children.

During his high school years Justice Bell worked as a farm labourer and construction worker. Upon commencing his academic studies at the University of New Brunswick Justice Bell was awarded the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Scholarship, the Captain Robert McBride Memorial Scholarship, the Carleton Soldiers’ Memorial Chapter of the I.O.D.E. Bursary and a Special University Entrance Scholarship.

In 1973 Justice Bell joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police where he graduated as valedictorian of his class. He served as a constable at various locations throughout Nova Scotia until 1976, at which time he commenced full time studies at Dalhousie Law School.

Justice Bell was awarded a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in 1979 and a Master of Laws degree from Dalhousie in 1998. He was called to the bar of New Brunswick in 1979 and was awarded the Queen’s Counsel designation in 2004. On June 27, 2006 Justice Bell was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench, Trial Division in Moncton, New Brunswick. He served in that capacity until June 22, 2007 at which time he was appointed to the Court of Appeal. At the time of his appointment to the bench in 2006 Justice Bell was the senior partner in the Fredericton office of the Atlantic law firm of McInnes Cooper.

During his approximately 26 years in the practice of law Justice Bell appeared before numerous administrative tribunals and before all levels of the courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is a published author, former arbitrator and inquiry commissioner, former Adjunct Professor of Business Law at Atlantic Baptist University in Moncton and a former course leader and lecturer at the Bar Admission Course of the Law Society. He has also served as President of the Canadian Bar Association (N.B. Branch), President of the Fredericton North Rotary Club, director of the Canadian Bar Association (National) and on various committees of the Law Society and the community at large.

During his years in private practice Justice Bell pursued continuing legal education programs at Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval, University of Western Ontario à Trois Pistoles, Université de Moncton, Dalhousie University, University of New Brunswick and was a lecturer at the Oxford Round Table held at Oxford University