Charles Fisher (August 15 or September 16, 1808-December 8, 1880) was a New Brunswick politician and jurist. Fisher was a Reformer who led the first responsible government in New Brunswick from 1854 to 1861. He was first elected to the colonial assembly in 1837 and initially served on the compact government (the Tory clique that ruled the colony) from 1848 to 1850 before becoming leader of the opposition and then Premier and Attorney-General in 1854. His government implemented various reformes in education, administration and the electoral system. His government lost power in 1856 when it tried to implement prohibition which proved unpopular with voters but he returned to power in 1857. His leadership ended in 1861 when he was ousted by fellow reformer Samuel L. Tilley due to a scandal over the leasing of crown lands. He became a Father of Confederation, however, participating in the Quebec Conference of 1864 and the 1867 London Conference that drafted the British North America Act. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1867 as a Liberal but resigned his seat in 1868 to accept an appointement to the New Brunswick Supreme Court.

External links

• Biography at the Canadian Dictionary of Biography Online