Greenspan, Edward L, 1944- : Edward Leonard Greenspan, senior partner in the Toronto law firm Greenspan, White, is one of Canada's best known lawyers. He grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario and attended the University of Toronto where he received a BA, at Osgoode Hall Law School, graduating in 1968. After being called to the bar in 1970, Greenspan began his legal career in Toronto. After his first year as a lawyer, he considered returning to Niagara Falls, however his vigorous cross-examinations and colourful style as a junior defence counsel in the highly publicised Peter Demeter murder trial captured the attention of the media and the public. Since then, Greenspan has represented some of Canada's most controversial and high-profile defendents such as former Nova Scotia Premier Gerald Regan, theatre magnate Garth Drabinsky, business mogul Karlheinz Schreiber, "mercy-killer" Robert Latimer, Helmuth Buxbaum, accused of murdering his wife, and a young mother accused of throwing her baby over Niagara Falls. Greenspan was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1982.
Outside the courtroom, Greenspan has been a lecturer at the University of Toronto Law School since 1971, and served as National Chairman of the Criminal Justice sub-section of the Canadian Bar Association from 1983-1984. He hosted and co-produced the legal docudrama 'The Scales of Justice', which aired on CBC Radio from 1982-1990, and on CBC television from 1990-1994. Greenspan's articles on criminal law have appeared in legal and medical journals, and in 1987, he published his best-selling autobiography in collaboration with George Jonas. He also serves on the editorial boards of a number of major legal publications.
Greenspan has earned a reputation as an outspoken advocate of the rights of accused persons. A vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Greenspan devotes his time public speeking on the Canadian justice system and the role of defence counsel. He is also known for his zealous opposition to capital punishment. In 1987, he took a six-month hiatus from his legal practice to campaign against a motion to reinstate the death penalty then being debated in the House of Commons. He also acted in the landmark 2001 case of Atif Rafay and Glen Sebastian Burns in which the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the death penalty to be unconstitutional.
In 1999, Greenspan was presented an Honorary Doctorate of Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and in 2002, a Doctorate of Civil Law by the University of Windsor Law School
Edward Greenspan and his wife Suzy live in Toronto, Ontario and have two daughters, Julianna and Samantha.
