Court of Appeal for Ontario
Court of Appeal for Ontario |
Established |
1867 |
Jurisdiction |
Ontario, Canada |
Location |
Toronto |
Authorized by |
Ontario Courts of Justice Act |
Number of positions |
24 (2 Presently Vacant) |
Website |
[1] |
Chief Justice |
Currently |
Warren Winkler |
Since |
June 1, 2007 |
The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently referred to as Ontario Court of Appeal or OCA) is headquartered in downtown Toronto, in historic Osgoode Hall.
The Court is composed of 24 judges who hear over 1,500 appeals each year, on issues of private law, constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, and other matters. The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals from less than 3% of the decisions of the Court of Appeal; in a very practical sense, the Court of Appeal is the last avenue of appeal for most litigants in Canada's most populous province.[1] Among the Court of Appeal's most notable decisions was a 2003 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Ontario, making Canada the first jurisdiction in the world where same-sex marriage was legalized by a court ruling. Among many judges from the Court who have been elevated to the Supreme Court of Canada are Justices Rosalie Abella, Louise Arbour, Peter Cory, Louise Charron, Andromache Karakatsanis, Bora Laskin, Michael Moldaver and Bertha Wilson. Justice Bertha Wilson was the first female justice on both the Ontario Court of Appeal (1975) and the Supreme Court of Canada (1982).
The court derives its jurisdiction from Ontario's Courts of Justice Act.
Current Justices
Position |
Name |
Appointed |
Nominated by |
Position Prior to Appointment* |
Chief Justice of Ontario |
Warren Winkler |
June 1, 2007 |
Harper |
Superior Court of Justice |
Associate Chief Justice of Ontario |
Dennis O'Connor |
1998/2001 |
Chretien |
Lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP |
Justice |
Robert P. Armstrong |
January 25, 2002 |
Chretien |
Lawyer at Torys LLP |
Justice |
Robert A. Blair |
November 5, 2003 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Eleanore A. Cronk |
July 31, 2001 |
Chretien |
Lawyer at Lax O'Sullivan Cronk LLP |
Justice |
David H. Doherty |
September 1, 1990 |
Mulroney |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Gloria J. Epstein |
October 12, 2007 |
Harper |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Kathryn N. Feldman |
June 11, 1998 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Eileen E. Gillese |
2002 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Stephen T. Goudge |
1996 |
Chretien |
Lawyer at Gowling, Strathy & Henderson LLP |
Justice |
Alexandra Hoy |
December 2, 2011 |
Harper |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Russell G. Juriansz |
March 12, 2004 |
Martin |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Harry S. Laforme |
November 2004 |
Martin |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Susan E. Lang |
March 12, 2004 |
Martin |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
John I. Laskin |
January 1994 |
Chretien |
Lawyer at Davies Ward & Beck LLP |
Justice |
Jean L. MacFarland (Supernumerary) |
November 19, 2004 |
Martin |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
James C. MacPherson |
1999 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Marc Rosenberg |
December 1995 |
Chretien |
Assistant Deputy Attorney General
(Public Law and Policy Division and Civil Law Division) |
Justice |
Paul Rouleau |
April 2005 |
Martin |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Robert J. Sharpe |
1999 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Janet M. Simmons |
August 2000 |
Chretien |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
David Watt |
October 12, 2007[2] |
Harper |
Superior Court of Justice |
Justice |
Karen M. Weiler |
March 12, 1992 |
Mulroney |
Superior Court of Justice |
Past Justices
Chief Justice of Upper Canada
See also
References
External links