ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, January 28, 2002 -- The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Eileen Gillese of the Superior Court of Justice is appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal. She replaces Justice J.-M. Labrosse who has chosen to become a supernumerary judge.

One of the first women to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarsip, Madam Justice Gillese obtained a B.A. (Honours in Jurisprudence) from Oxford University (England) in 1979 and, the following year, a post-graduate law degree. She was called to the Bar of Alberta in 1981, and the Bar of Ontario in 1988. Madam Justice Gillese is a former Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. She was appointed the Superior Court of Justice in London in 1999.

Robert P. Armstrong, Q.C., of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal. He replaces Mr. Justice G.D. Finlayson who has chosen to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice Armstrong received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1965, and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1967. Just prior to his appointment, he was a partner at the Toronto firm of Torys practicing primarily in the area of civil litigation. Mr. Justice Armstrong has appeared before both the trial and appellate courts of Ontario as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Justice Armstrong is a former Bencher and Immediate Past Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He has been a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and from 1997-1999 served as Chair of the Ontario Legal Aid Committee. Throughout his career, he has been a frequent panellist and presenter in his areas of expertise most notably in advocacy issues. Mr. Justice Armstrong was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1978.

Alexandra Hoy of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. She replaces Mr. Justice D.H. Lissaman who has chosen to become a supernumerary judge.

Madam Justice Hoy received a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1978 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1980. Just prior to her appointment, she was a partner at the Toronto firm of Lang Michener practicing business law, representing both public and private corporations in regulated and non-regulated industries.

Since 1997, Madam Justice Hoy has served as Chair of the Business Law Group at Lang Michener, the commmittee responsible for professional development and mentoring program in that field of practice. She is also a former member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Joseph Michael Fragomeni of Sudbury is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton. He replaces Mr. Justice S.B. Durno who was appointed Regional Senior Judge for the Central West Region.

Mr. Justice Fragomeni received a Bachelor of Laws from Windsor Law School in 1980. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1982, and began practice in Sudbury where at the time of his appointment he was in sole practice. Throughout his career, he has practiced primarily in litigation, with a special focus on family, criminal and civil law matters. He has been a prosecutor for the Attorney General of Canada in Sudbury and Espanola handling criminal prosecutions for various federal offences. In 1993, Mr. Justice Fragomeni was appointed a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court in Sudbury. He is a former member of the Area Committee for Legal Aid for the District of Sudbury and Manitoulin.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Suzanne Thébarge
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621