Peter Michael Pitfield - Definition and Overview

The Honourable Peter Michael Pitfield (or Michael Pitfield) (born June 18, 1937, in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian Senator and former senior civil servant.

Born in Montreal, Michael Pitfield graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and then obtained his law degree from McGill University. He went to Ottawa to join the civil service in 1959 where he worked as an administrative assistant to Justice Minister E. Davie Fulton. He subsequently obtained a postgraduate degree in public law and held various positions in the civil service until becoming Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada and Secretary to Cabinet under Pierre Trudeau from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1982. Because of his close association with Trudeau he was replaced during the ministry of Joe Clark but returned following the 1980 Canadian election that returned Trudeau to power.

As head of the public service, Pitfield played a senior role in the government's successful efforts to patriate the Canadian Constitution. As a reward for his service he was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Trudeau on December 22 1982. Though he had been perceived to be close to the Liberals he took his seat in the Senate as an Independent. He also served in mid to late 1980s as vice chairman of Power Corporation, and in 2002 was named Director Emeritus of the company.

In recent years Pitfield has suffered from Parkinson's disease and has worked to raise awareness of the condition.