routinely done. The officers also would not be paid unless they received a certificate of good conduct by their commanding officer. 1845–1870 It was 1845 when the Council of Assiniboia completely disbanded the Volunteer Corps and replaced it with 15 constables that had been appointed by the council. This new constabulary was tasked with executing writs and assisting their local magistrates—to whom from then on received the power to appoint, review, and dismiss constables. It was through these changes that the council adopted the English common law framework in their courts, and completely abandoned the military-styled organization that the company was trying to create. The council also instituted a more efficient, two-tiered court system that involved a minimal payment to start a case. During this time, Adam Thom, the council's recorder, also amended the current local laws and officially turned them into a legal code. A law amendment committee was also introduced by the council in 1851, consisting of Adam Thom, Louis LaFleche, and Dr. John Bunn. From 1869 to 1870, when Rupert's Land joined the newly confederated dominion of Canada, the Council of Assiniboia was disbanded. When Louis Riel sought counsel with the Council of Assiniboia insisting that negotiations needed to be made with Canada, on behalf of the local Métis, his demands were rejected. In response Riel created the council's successor, the short-lived Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia, soon followed by the Red River Rebellion. This was the early development of the judiciary in Manitoba, but even broader, "Assiniboia's legal history is central to the legal history of the Canadian frontier." Members References Rupert's Land Legal history of Canada Assiniboia District of Assiniboia