Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was very busy making judicial appointment notices last week. A slew of new judges have been named across the country.
In Manitoba, Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Marc M. Monnin is moving on up to the Court of Appeal for Manitoba. Monnin became chief justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2003 and a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench in 1997. Prior to that, he was a partner with Aikins MacAulay & Thorvaldson.
As Justice W.J. Burnett becomes the new Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, Diana M. Cameron has been appointed to replace him on the court. Cameron had been Crown counsel with the constitutional law branch of Manitoba Justice since 2004 and was senior Crown attorney of criminal prosecutions from 1989 to 2004.
The final Manitoba appointment is Shane I. Perlmutter, who joins the Court of Queen’s Bench to replace Justice M. Kaufman, who elected to become a supernumerary judge. Perlmutter has practised civil litigation and administrative law with Thompson Dorman Sweat man LLP since 1996.
In Nova Scotia, Amherst Provincial Court Judge Carole A. Beaton will join the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division to replace Justice L.I. O’Neil, who was appointed associate chief justice of the Family Division. Beaton was appointed to the Provincial Court in 2002 and to the Family Court in 2003. Prior to that, she was a founding partner of Beaton Blaikie from 1994 to 2002.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Richard R. Wagner is moving up to the Court of Appeal of Quebec to replace Justice Lise Côté, who resigned Dec. 31, 2010. Wagner joined the Superior Court in 2004 and before that was a partner with Lavery de Billy.
Ogilvy Renault LLP’s Louis J. Gouin of Montreal has been appointed to the Superior Court bench to fill the spot left by Wagner. Gouin’s main areas of practice were corporate reorganizations, bankruptcy and insolvency, banking law and litigation.
Also appointed to the Superior Court is Mark Schrager, a lawyer with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in Montréal. He replaces Justice Louise Lemelin, who has become a supernumerary judge. His main areas of practice were insolvency and financial re-structuring, commercial litigation and asset-based lending.
The third new judge at the Superior Court is Michael Stober, a sole practitioner from Montréal. He fills the spot left by Justice Jocelyn Verrier, who is also going supernumerary. During his practice, Stober has been an attorney for the Sureté du Québec as well as a Crown prosecutor.
Into Ontario, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP civil litigator Glenn A. Hainey is the newest judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. He takes over the spot of Justice E.N. Macdonald, who has elected to become a supernumerary judge. Hainey is a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada as we the Ombudsman for the Province of Ontario from 1976 to 1979.
Christopher Bondy, of Windsor, is the second new appointment to the Ontario Superior Court, replacing Justice Denis J. Power of Ottawa, who elected to become a supernumerary judge and whose position was transferred to Windsor. Bondy founded the Bondy Baker Wolf law firm, now known as Wolf Hooker Professional Corp. His main area of practice was administrative law.
Also joining the Superior Court bench in Hamilton is Robert R. Reid, a lawyer with Lancaster, Brooks & Welch LLP in St. Catharines, to replace J.W. Quinn, who has also elected to become a supernumerary judge and whose position was transferred to Hamilton. Reid practised labour relations and employment law.
Victor Mitrow, a lawyer with McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP in London, is now a judge with the Family Division of the Superior Court in London. He replaces Justice R. John Harper who became the senior judge of the Family Division last September.
In Toronto, replacing Superior Court Justice Denise Bellamy, who resigned last August, is Carole J. Brown, a lawyer with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s Ottawa office. Brown has spent most of her career at BLG and was a law clerk to the chief justice of Ontario from 1984 to 1985. Her main areas of practice were professional negligence, insurance defence work, personal injury and Supreme Court agency work.
Last, but by no means least, is Brian W. Abrams, who joins the Family Division bench in Kingston, replacing Justice G.A. Campbell. Abrams was a partner at Templeman Menninga LLP in Kingston, and has been a standing agent (ad hoc drug prosecutor) for the Department of Justice Canada since 1999. Prior to his call to the Ontario Bar, he was an RCMP officer.
