Leo Barry (Canadian jurist)

Leo Denis Barry (born August 7, 1943) is a Canadian jurist and current Justice of the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador. He was born in Red Island, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Barry graduated from Memorial University (BA 1963, BSc 1962), Dalhousie Law School in 1967 and received a Masters (specialization in Jurisprudence and International Law) from Yale Law School in 1968.

Prior to his judicial career, Barry was a Newfoundland MHA and Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leader and Leader of the Opposition from 1984 until 1987 when he was forced to resign as party leader due to opposition by his caucus.

Barry was initially elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly as a Progressive Conservative in 1972. He served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly before being appointed to the Cabinet of Frank Moores as Minister of Mines and Energy during which time he took a leading role in developing Newfoundland's oil and gas regulations. He was defeated in the 1975 provincial election and served as chairman of the Newfoundland Labor Relations Board for until 1977 when he became a lecturer at Dalhousie University's law school in Halifax. In 1979, Barry returned to Newfoundland and contested the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party placing third, losing to Brian Peckford. He won a seat during the 1979 provincial election and was appointed energy minister in Peckford's cabinet. Barry resigned from cabinet in 1981 due to a disagreement with Peckford over negotiations with the federal government over Newfoundland's claim to offshore resources. On Feb. 21, 1984, he crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party and became the party's leader later that year. As Liberal leader in the 1985 provincial election he increased the number of Liberal seats from four to 15 in the 52 member House of Assembly.

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