Born in Winnipeg in 1924, Roland Penner served in Europe during WWII in the Canadian artillery. On his return, he became involved with the communist Labour Progressive Party and, later, with the New Democratic Party of Manitoba. Penner practiced law for fifteen years and, in 1972, was the first chairperson of Manitoba’s new legal aid system. In this position, he helped lay the basis for a legal aid system that is still considered one of the best in Canada. In 1981, Penner was elected to the Manitoba Legislature and appointed Government House Leader, Chair of the Treasury Board, and Attorney General in the NDP government of Howard Pawley. Penner served mainly as Attorney General, Minister Responsible for Constitutional Affairs, bringing forward new human rights legislation, and, for a brief period, as Minister of Education. Following his political career, Penner served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba, where he taught constitutional law. Roland Penner was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2000, and the Order of Manitoba in 2014. He died in 2018.