Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario

OTTAWA, ON, May 1, 2026 /CNW/ - The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

The Honourable Robert W. Wadden, a Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Cornwall. Justice Wadden replaces Justice J.M. Johnston (Brockville), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 30, 2025. The Chief Justice has transferred Justice L. Bramwell (Cornwall) into this vacancy. The vacancy is therefore located in Cornwall.

Karen E. Pritchard, Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Sault Ste. Marie, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Sault Ste. Marie. Justice Pritchard replaces Justice B. DeLorenzi (Sault Ste. Marie), who resigned effective March 31, 2025.

Quote

"I wish Justices Wadden and Pritchard every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Ontario well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario."

-- The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Biographies

Justice Robert W. Wadden is from Newfoundland and obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University. He attended the University of Toronto, where he obtained his law degree. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1992.

Justice Wadden was a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice, appointed in April 2014.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, he had a twenty-year career as Crown counsel with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in Ottawa. He was involved in the prosecution of a broad range of criminal offences and the conduct of numerous jury trials, including murders, dangerous offender proceedings, and cases dealing with serious violence. Earlier in his career, he practised litigation as an associate lawyer at Fasken Martineau in Toronto, working on large civil, commercial and insolvency matters.

Justice Wadden made significant contributions to professional governance and legal education. As a lawyer he served as an elected bencher of the Law Society of Ontario and taught at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law and in trial advocacy programs. On the Ontario Court of Justice, he was a co-chair of criminal law education and played a leadership role in the delivery of judicial programming, including in sexual assault law and case management. 

Justice Wadden and his wife have been married for over thirty years. They raised two sons, and he spent years as a volunteer with their sports teams and schools. He remains active by skiing, cycling and running road races for charity. 

Justice Karen E. Pritchard was born and raised in Northern Ontario. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in History and her Juris Doctor from the University of Western Ontario. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2010.

Justice Pritchard began her career as an Assistant Crown Attorney in Kitchener and Sarnia before returning north, first to Manitoulin Island and finally Sault Ste. Marie, which she calls home. She had been an Assistant Crown Attorney for the District of Algoma since 2013. Since 2024, she had served as the North Region Crown on the Ministry of the Attorney General's Sexual Violence Advisory Group.

Justice Pritchard has made significant contributions to public service, legal education, and mentorship. As a lawyer, she acted as a Law Society of Ontario Articling Principal and delivered extensive educational programming to police, prosecutors, sexual assault nurse examiners, probation officers, and victim support organizations. She has collaborated with justice system and community partners, including the Canadian Mental Health Association Justice Program and the John Howard Society. She also supported the establishment of the Gweyek Ji Bimoseng (Walking the Straight Road) Restorative Justice Program.

Quick Facts

• 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.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Jeremy Bellefeuille, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 613-957-4207, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]