ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

Ottawa, February 25, 2005 – Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable David R. Aston of London is appointed Senior judge of the Family Court Branch of the Superior Court of Justice. He replaces Madam Justice Mary Lou Benotto who resigns the position and is reappointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice.

Mr. Justice Aston graduated in law from the University of Western Ontario in 1972, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1974. He was appointed to the Family Court Branch of the Superior Court of Justice in 1995. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Mr. Justice Aston had been in sole practice and then a partner with Aston, Berg and Kennedy. He was one of the first Ontario lawyers to be certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in family law in 1990.

He is the co-author of Family Law Rules Annotated, a member of the Working Group for the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines and is frequently engaged in legal education with various organizations, including the National Judicial Institute, the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, and the Middlesex Family Lawyers Association.

James R.H. Turnbull of Hamilton is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice. He will be assigned to Simcoe and replaces Madam Justice P.H. Wallace who passed away.

Mr. Justice Turnbull received a Bachelor of Laws in 1970, and a Masters of Law in 1978, both from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1973.

Prior to his appointment, he was a partner and former managing partner, with the firm Mackesy Smye. He specialized in administrative law and civil litigation, including personal injury, medical malpractice and commercial litigation. He also acted as a mediator.

In the past, Mr. Justice Turnbull has served as President and Trustee of the Hamilton Law Association. He is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, the Advocates Society, the Hamilton Law Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association. He is a frequent lecturer.

Nancy J. Spies of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice. She replaces Mr. Justice R. Juriansz who was appointed to the Court of Appeal.

Madam Justice Spies received a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1978, and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1980.

Prior to her appointment, she was a partner with Stockwoods LLP where she practised primarily in civil litigation and administrative law. She was certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation in 1990.

In the past, Madam Justice Spies has been Chair of the Civil Litigation Specialty Committee, a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice and a member of the Commercial List Users' Committee. In addition, she was Chair of the Law Society of Upper Canada Sub-Committee of Specialization Certification and a Trustee of the Toronto Lawyers' Association. She is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1999, and is a frequent lecturer in the areas of commercial litigation, professional discipline and advocacy.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Denise Rudnicki
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621