ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, May 14, 2004 - Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

Fred Graham of Barrie is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice and will be assigned to Barrie by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Justice Graham received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1978, and a Masters of Laws from King's College at the University of London in 1993. He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1980.

At the time of his appointment, Mr. Justice Graham was a Senior Assistant Crown Attorney for Simcoe County, and pleaded cases in both French and English.

Mr. Justice Graham is a member of the Biidaaban Advisory Committee, a restorative justice program operated by the Mnjikaning First Nation. As well, he is a former instructor at Osgoode Hall Law School, the Bar Admission Course and the Ontario Center for Advocacy Training. He is the author of several legal articles.

Jane Ferguson of London is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, and will be assigned to Newmarket by the Chief Justice.

Madam Justice Ferguson received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1987, and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1989.

Prior to her appointment, Madam Justice Ferguson was a partner with the firm of McCarthy Tétrault where she practised in the area of civil litigation. In the past, she has also worked with the London Crown Attorney's Office. She has been ranked by Lexpert Directory in the area of medical negligence.

Madam Justice Ferguson is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Advocates Society and the Middlesex Law Association. She has also been an instructor at the Bar Admission Course, as well as through the Advocates Society.

These appointments are effective immediately.

Michael Brown of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, and will be assigned to Newmarket by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Justice Brown received a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1979, and a Masters of Law from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2003. He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1981, and has also been a member of the New Brunswick Bar.

Since 2000, Mr. Justice Brown had been the Executive Legal Officer at the Superior Court of Justice. In the past, he has also served as the Executive Assistant and Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Senior Counsel for Discipline at the Law Society of Upper Canada, Crown Counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, and Special Prosecutor for the Ministry of the Attorney General of New Brunswick. He has appeared before all levels of the courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Justice Brown is a former Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association - Ontario Section. He has been an instructor at the Bar Admission Course, as well as at the faculties of law of the University of Windsor and Queen's University. He is also the author of several legal articles.

This appointment comes into effect June 2, 2004.

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Ref.:

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