Saskatoon lawyer, former Liberal MP Morris Bodnar dies at 77

Morris Bodnar, a prominent Saskatoon lawyer and former Liberal MP, has died at 77-years-old

A longtime Saskatoon criminal defence lawyer and former federal politician has died.

Morris Bodnar died in Saskatoon on Friday at the age of 77.

Bodnar was born and raised in Prud’homme, about 65 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. He met his wife, Joyce, while studying at the University of Saskatchewan, and together they raised three children.

He practiced criminal law in Saskatoon for five decades, working on about 100 homicide cases and taking on several high-profile trials, including the defence of Greg Fertuck in a first-degree murder case. Fertuck was convicted of killing his wife, Sheree, near Kenaston, about 80 kilometres south of Saskatoon.

Bodnar and co-counsel Michael Nolin withdrew from the case partway through the trial after Fertuck filed complaints with the Saskatchewan Law Society questioning their “competence and professional integrity.”

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The Fertuck trial was Bodnar’s final case before he retired in 2022.

Bodnar was also elected to Parliament in 1993 as a member of the Liberal Party, representing Saskatoon–Dundurn until 1997, a role his obituary describes as “one of the great honours of his lifetime.” During his term, he acted as parliamentary secretary to three federal ministries.

His obituary says Bodnar will be remembered as a “devoted husband and father, a proud grandfather, a principled lawyer, a committed public servant and a thoughtful conversationalist.”