ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 16, 2014 – The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable David M. Brown, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario to replace Mr. Justice S.T. Goudge, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 31, 2014.

Mr. Justice Brown was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in 2006, and at the time was a partner with the firm Stikeman Elliott LLP in Toronto, where he practised civil and commercial litigation.

Mr. Justice Brown is the president of the Ontario Superior Court Judges’ Association. He received a Bachelor of Laws in 1981 from the University of Toronto and a Master of Laws in Constitutional Law in 2005 from Osgoode Hall Law School, and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1983.

The Honourable Grant Huscroft, a professor at the University of Western Ontario in London, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, to replace Mr. Justice M. Rosenberg, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of March 5, 2014.

Mr. Justice Huscroft received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1981, a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University in 1984, and a Master of Laws from the University of Auckland in 1984. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1987 and is a past member of the High Court of New Zealand.

Mr. Justice Huscroft has been a professor at the Faculty of Law for the University of Western Ontario since 2002 and was the Associate Dean, Academic, from 2006 to 2008. At the Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, he was a tenured lecturer from 1992 to 2001, and Director of Postgraduate Studies from 2000 to 2001. As well, he was a visiting professor at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, in 1998 and a counsel for the Ontario Ministry of Labour from 1987 to 1991. He has published legal research extensively and has been cited by courts and scholars internationally since 2000. He is a member of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators and of the Health Services Appeal and Review Board.

The Honourable Douglas C. Shaw, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, is appointed Regional Senior Judge of the Northwest Region, to replace Madam Justice H.M. Pierce, who resigned as Regional Senior Judge effective July 31, 2014.

Mr. Justice Shaw was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in 2005. He received a Bachelor of Laws in 1973 and a Master of Arts in 1970, both from the University of Toronto, and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1975. He practised with Atwood Shaw Labine until the time of his appointment.

The Honourable Helen M. Pierce, Regional Senior Judge of the Northwest Region, Superior Court of Justice, is transferred back to the regular judicial complement (Thunder Bay), to replace Mr. Justice D.C. Shaw, who was appointed Regional Senior Judge.

Madam Justice Pierce was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in 2001 and Regional Senior Judge in 2009. She served in that position until July 31, 2014.

Madam Justice Pierce received a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University in 1980 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1982. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was a sole practitioner in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Honourable C. Frederick Graham, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, is appointed a judge of the Family Court Branch, and is transferred to replace Madam Justice L.M. Olah (Barrie), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of October 21, 2014.

Mr. Justice Graham was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Barrie in 2004. Prior to his appointment, he was a Senior Assistant Crown Attorney for Simcoe County.  He received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1978 and a Master of Laws from King’s College at the University of London in 1993.

The Honourable Wendy L. MacPherson, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, is appointed a judge of the Family Court Branch, and is transferred to replace Madam Justice J.W. Scott (St. Catharines), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of November 10, 2014.

Madam Justice MacPherson was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener in 2009. Prior to her appointment, she was a partner with Martin Sheppard Fraser LLP in Niagara Falls and practised family law.

Madam Justice MacPherson received a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1983, both from Queen’s University. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1985.

The Honourable Ivan S. Bloom, a lawyer with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice S.S. Seppi (Brampton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 8, 2014.

Mr. Justice Bloom received a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from McMaster University in 1972 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1974. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1976 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991.

Mr. Justice Bloom has been a Crown Counsel with the Ontario Regional Office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (formerly the Department of Justice) since 1980, where his main area of practice was criminal law and constitutional law. In Hamilton, he was a lawyer with Dubeck & Dudzic from 1977 to 1980, and with Katz, Swanborough from 1976 to 1977. He is a member of the Advocates’ Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the Conference of French Speaking Members from Common Law Provinces and Territories and the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario. He has litigated before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.  

The Honourable George W. King, a lawyer with McTague Law Firm in Windsor, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Mr. Justice S. Rogin (Windsor), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of April 11, 2014.

Mr. Justice King received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1980. He joined the McTague Law Firm after being admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1982. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Essex Law Association and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada, in the field of labour and employment law, since 2006.

The Honourable Grant R. Dow, a lawyer with Flaherty Dow Elliott & McCarthy LLP in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice R.E. Mesbur (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of June 30, 2014.

Mr. Justice Dow received a Bachelor of Arts (with Distinction) from Brock University in 1978 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1981. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1983 and he was certified as a Specialist in Civil Litigation in 1997. He had been a Law Society of Upper Canada Specialist Certification Interview Panellist since 2003.

Mr. Justice Dow has been a partner with Flaherty Dow Elliott & McCarthy since 1994 and was an associate with Gilbert Wright & Flaherty from 1983 to 1988, and partner from 1988 to 1994. While there, he practised insurance law, personal injury and motor vehicle litigation. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Medical Legal Society, the Advocates’ Society, the Metropolitan Toronto Law Association and the Durham Law Association.

The Honourable W. Danial Newton, a lawyer with CARREL+Partners LLP in Thunder Bay, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Mr. Justice B.A. Glass (Oshawa), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of July 31, 2014, and whose position was transferred to Thunder Bay.

Mr. Justice Newton received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1979 and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1982. After being admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1984, he joined CARREL+Partners LLP, where he practised civil litigation. He was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2012. He had been a Clinical Instructor at Lakehead University Faculty of Law since 2013, a director of The Advocates’ Society since 2012, and is a certified Advocacy Trainer. He has also been a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association since 2006, and was a member and past director of the Thunder Bay Law Association.

The Honourable Russell M. Raikes, a lawyer with McKenzie Lake LLP in London, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Mr. Justice J.M. Donohue (Sarnia), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of May 4, 2014.

Mr. Justice Raikes received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor in 1982 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1984. He has been a lawyer with McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP since 2012 and had previously been with Cohen Highley LLP (1984-2011), where he practised civil and commercial litigation, real estate law, Aboriginal law and employment law. He was chair of the International Bar Association (Indigenous Peoples Section) from 2005 to 2010.

The Honourable Suhail A.Q. Akhtar, a lawyer with the Ministry of the Attorney General in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Mr. Justice G. Czutrin (Toronto), who was appointed to the position of Senior Family Judge on December 31, 2013.

Mr. Justice Akhtar received a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) from the University of London (U.K.) in 1983 and trained as a Barrister at Law of England and Wales from Inns of Court School of Law in 1984. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1998. He has been with the Crown Law Office (Criminal) since 2013. Prior to that, he was with the Scarborough Crown Attorney’s Office from 2009 to 2013 and 1998 to 2005; on secondment with the Ministry of the Attorney General – Guns and Gangs Initiative from 2005 to 2009 in Toronto; as a Crown Prosecutor, Crown Prosecution Service in England from 1992 to 1996; a legal assistant with Barlow Lyde and Gilbert in 1990; and a barrister in the Chambers of John Spokes, Q.C. from 1988 to 1990.

The Honourable Sean F. Dunphy, a lawyer with Russell Hill Advisory Services Inc. in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Mr. Justice D.M. Brown, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Mr. Justice Dunphy received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1986 and was admitted to the Bars of Ontario in 1985 and British Columbia in 1992. He has been the principal at Russell Hill Advisory Services Inc. since 2012, where he is co-head of the firm’s National Insolvency and Restructuring Practice. He was previously an associate with Stikeman Elliott from1985 to 1991, and a partner there from 1991to 2012. He was a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and has published numerous journal articles. He was a frequent lecturer and panellist on insolvency and securities law at professional conferences across Canada.

The Honourable Mario D. Faieta, a lawyer with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice G.F. Speigel (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of July 22, 2014.

Mr. Justice Faieta received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto in 1981 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1984. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1986 and joined the firm Piscelli & Faieta, Barristers & Solicitors in 1986, where he practised environmental law, administrative law and insolvency law until 1987. He had been counsel with the Ontario Ministry of the environment since 2004; with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing from 2000 to 2004; the Environmental Assessment Board, the Environmental Appeal Board; and the Environmental Compensation Corporation from 1992 to 2000. He was with the Crown Law Office – Civil Law from 1991 to 1992, counsel with the Ontario Environmental Compensation Corporation from 1989 to 1991 and a claims analyst with the Ontario Criminal Injuries Compensation Board from 1987 to 1989. He was the Associate Editor of the Canadian Environmental Law Reports.

The Honourable Benjamin T. Glustein, a Master with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice N.E. Garton (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of April 15, 2014.

Mr. Justice Glustein received a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University in 1989 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1990 and the Bar of Ontario in 1993.  In 1990, he was Law Clerk to Madam Justice l’Heureux-Dubé of the Supreme Court of Canada. He had been a Master with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice since 2006, and had been previously with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Toronto and an associate with Ogilvy Renault (now Norton Rose LLP) in Montréal. He had been an adjunct professor with the University of Toronto Law School for Advanced Legal Research and Writing since 2005. He was a member of the E-Discovery Implementation Committee from 2004 to 2010 and a speaker at numerous conferences, including the Toronto Lawyers’ Association, the Advocates’ Society, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Ontario Bar Association.

The Honourable J. Michal Fairburn, a lawyer with Stockwoods LLP in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice K.M. van Rensburg (Brampton), who was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario on October 1, 2013.

Madam Justice Fairburn received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto Law School in 1990 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1992. She joined the Crown Law Office of the Ministry of the Attorney General and was Crown Counsel from 1992 to 2007 and General Counsel from 2007 to 2013. She had been partner with Stockwoods LLP since 2013.

Madam Justice Fairburn was appointed a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2011, has been a member of the Federation of Law Societies since 2003 and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Advocates’ Society from 2010 to 2013.

The Honourable Bradley W. Miller, a professor at the University of Western Ontario in London is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Mr. Justice A. Goodman (London), who was transferred to Kitchener to replace Mr. Justice P.J. Flynn, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 16, 2015. This appointment is effective January 16, 2015.

Mr. Justice Miller received a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws in 1992, both from the University of British Columbia. He received a Master of Laws (magna cum laude) in 1994 from the University of Edinburgh and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Law) from the University of Oxford in 2004. He was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1993 and the Bar of Ontario in 2002.

Mr. Justice Miller had been a tenured associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Western Ontario, working in the areas of constitutional theory, constitutional law and philosophy of law since 2011, and an assistant professor from 2005 to 2011. He had been an associate counsel in Miller Thomson’s Litigation Group in Toronto since 2012, an associate with Lerners LLP in Toronto from 2002 to 2011, with Garton & Harris, Barristers & Solicitors from 1995 to 1997, and with Bell Spagnolo & Co. from 1994 to 1995, both in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. His main areas of practice were commercial litigation, class actions, administrative law, constitutional law and human rights law.

The Honourable Alexander D. Kurke, a lawyer with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in Sudbury, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Mr. Justice E. Koke (Sault Ste. Marie), who was transferred to Parry Sound to replace Mr. Justice J.S. O’Neill, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of April 14, 2014.

Mr. Justice Kurke received a Bachelor of Arts (Latin) from Columbia College in New York in 1983. He received a Master of Laws in 1987 and a Doctorate in Philosophy in 1989, both from the University of Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1992 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1994.

Mr. Justice Kurke had been an assistant Crown attorney in Sudbury since 1994 and held various team leader positions. His main area of practice was criminal and quasi-criminal law. He was a member of the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association, and of the Sudbury District Law Association. He was the author of several articles on DNA and current legal issues.

The Honourable Robin Y. Tremblay, a lawyer with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in Kapuskasing, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, to replace Madam Justice C. MacDonald (Cochrane), who was transferred to Timmins, to replace Mr. Justice R.A. Riopelle, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 8, 2014.

Mr. Justice Tremblay received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa in 1994 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1996. He had been Crown attorney for the District of Cochrane North since 2001 and had been an assistant Crown attorney from 1999 to 2001. Prior to that, he was a partner with Perras Gauthier Mongenais Tremblay in Kapuskasing from 1996 to 1999. He had been a trainer with the French Language Institute for Professional Development since 2005, and with the Centre canadien de français juridique presenting French-language legal terminology seminars for provincial court judges and lawyers since 2010.

The Honourable Laura A. Bird, a lawyer with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Mr. Justice E.B. Minden (Newmarket), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of June 24, 2014.

Madam Justice Bird received a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1994 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1996. She had been general counsel at the Metro West Crown Attorney’s Office in Toronto since 2012. She had held various positions with the Crown Attorney’s office since 1996. She had an independent criminal practice from 2006 to 2007 and was an assistant Crown attorney in Newmarket from 2005 to 2006. Madam Justice Bird was a member of the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association, was a lecturer for numerous courses and was a frequent panellist at conferences on Charter applications, gang evidence and cross-examination.

The Honourable Catrina D. Braid, a lawyer with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada inKitchener, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Madam Justice W.L. MacPherson (Hamilton), who was transferred to St. Catharines to replace Madam Justice J.W. Scott, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of November 10, 2014.

Madam Justice Braid had been senior counsel and team leader for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Kitchener since 2005, and was previously legal counsel on the Major Case Team, Superior Court Team, and appellate counsel at the Ontario Court of Appeal with the Department of Justice, Federal Prosecution Service, in Toronto from 2000 to 2004. She had been an associate with Hobson, Taylor in Waterloo from 1996 to 2000. She had been a co-op program mentor for the Law Society of Upper Canada Equity and Diversity Mentorship Program since 2001 and had provided training to the Waterloo Regional Police on the subject of informants and search issues since 2005.

The Honourable William M. Le May, a lawyer with Hicks Morley LLP in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice to replace Madam Justice L.L. Snowie (Brampton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of May 25, 2014.

Mr. Justice Le May received a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University in 1993 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1996. After being admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1998, he joined the firm Hicks Morley, where he became a partner in 2004 and where he practised labour law, employment law and insurance law. He has been an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association, Labour and Employment Law Section; a speaker at events for the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA); at conferences of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs; and at conferences of the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association. He has been listed in the legal directories Lexpert and The Best Lawyers in Canada (2012 and 2013) in the area of labour law.

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Ref.:

Clarissa Lamb
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