Department of Justice

ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, August 23, 2000 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Janet M. Simmons , Regional Senior Justice of the Superior Court of Justice for the Central West Region, is appointed a Judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal. Madam Justice Simmons replaces Madam Justice Louise Arbour, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Madam Justice Simmons received her LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario in 1977. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1979 and practised law in Brampton. In 1990, she was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Division). In 1991, she was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton and in 1999, she was appointed Regional Senior Justice for the Central West Region.

At the time of her appointment, Madam Justice Simmons was a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee to the Integrated Justice Project. She is also a former Director of the Superior Court Judges Association.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Farah Mohamed
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621