Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario
OTTAWA, Dec. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable Jill M. Copeland, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario in Toronto. She replaces Mr. Justice J.P. Moore, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective November 8, 2017.
The Honourable Michael D. McArthur, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario in London. He replaces Mr. Justice T.A. Heeney, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 1, 2017.
Anne London-Weinstein, a partner at Weinstein Law, in appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario in Toronto. She replaces Mr. Justice M.R. Dambrot, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective December 1, 2017.
Biographies
Justice Jill M. Copeland was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in August 2014. There she presided over criminal and youth court matters in both official languages.
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Justice Copeland practised in the areas of criminal, constitutional and administrative law for 19 years with Ruby & Edwardh and Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP and as counsel to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. During her time in practice, Justice Copeland maintained a commitment to pro bono work, acting for individuals and public interest organizations in trials and appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada, primarily on issues related to criminal law and civil liberties. She also served as duty counsel for inmate appeals before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
From 2007 to 2010, Justice Copeland served as Executive Legal Officer to the Chief Justice of Canada. In that role, she served as the principal advisor to the Chief Justice and assisted her with the administration of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Judicial Council, and the National Judicial Institute.
Throughout her career, Justice Copeland has been active as a speaker in legal education for lawyers, judges, members of administrative tribunals, and law students. She also served on the board of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto.
Justice Copeland was called to the bar in 1995. She obtained her LL.B. in 1992 from the University of Toronto, where she was awarded the Dean's Key and graduated with academic honours. She obtained her LL.M. from Columbia University in 2001, graduating as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Justice Copeland began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honourable Peter Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Excerpts from Justice Copeland's judicial application will be available shortly.
Justice Michael D. McArthur was appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in March 2017, presiding in Guelph.
Before his appointment to the bench, Justice McArthur practised law for 30 years in Simcoe, Ontario, where he was a partner with MHN Lawyers LLP. Certified as a specialist in criminal law by the Law Society of Upper Canada (now the Law Society of Ontario), he conducted many trials in the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice as defence counsel and as the federal agent in Norfolk County for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Justice McArthur also contributed to and participated in numerous conferences and activities for the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Justice McArthur has helped found numerous business and community ventures, including, most recently, the Routes to Roots Film Festival and All Norfolk Community Hub. He is an avid mountain bike cyclist and an enthusiast of sports, theatre and the arts. Justice McArthur and his wife, Carol, are parents to four adult children.
Excerpts from Justice McArthur's judicial application will be available shortly.
Justice Anne London-Weinstein was a defence counsel for most of her professional life. As a criminal lawyer, she represented individuals charged with serious matters, often from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds imaginable. For two years early in her career she was an assistant Crown attorney in Scarborough, Ontario. As counsel, she appeared at every level of court in Ontario.
Justice London-Weinstein graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1996 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1998. She received her LL.M. in criminal law and procedure from Osgoode Hall in 2011. She was certified as a specialist in criminal litigation with the Law Society of Upper Canada (now the Law Society of Ontario).
Justice London-Weinstein has served as president of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa and as regional director of the Criminal Lawyers' Association. In addition, she served on the Area Committee for Legal Aid Ontario.
Justice London-Weinstein has been an active participant in legal education. She has taught evidence at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa and also taught trial advocacy for many years. She has presented at "Crown School" and at conferences hosted by groups including the Superior Court of Justice Eastern Region, the Ontario Court of Justice Eastern Region conference, the Criminal Lawyers' Association, the Advocates' Society, and the County of Carleton Law Association.
Justice London-Weinstein and her husband, Neil, have three sons and two grandsons.
Excerpts from Justice London-Weinstein's judicial application will be available shortly.
Quick Facts
- Today's announcements bring the total number of judicial appointments this year to 100, the most a Minister of Justice has made in one year in over a decade.
- Of these appointees, half are women, four are Indigenous, and 16 have self-identified as a member of a visible minority population, LGBTQ2, or a person with a disability.
- Budget 2017 includes additional funding of $55 million over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and $15.5 million per year thereafter for 28 new federally appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 have been allotted to Alberta and one to the Yukon, with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions.
- To ensure a judiciary that is responsive, ethical and sensitive to the evolving needs of Canadian society, the Canadian Judicial Council will receive $2.7 million over five years and $0.5 million ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity.
- Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
- The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
- Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.
SOURCE Department of Justice Canada
For further information: media may contact: Kathleen Davis, Communications and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-4621; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]
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