ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED  

OTTAWA , November 19, 2004 - Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Jean L. MacFarland of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal. She replaces Madam Justice Rosalie Abella who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Madam Justice MacFarland received a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University in 1971 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1973.

She was first appointed to the High Court of Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario, now the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, in 1987. She also served as Regional Senior Justice for the Central East Region from 1990 to 1996. Prior to her initial appointment to the Bench, Madam Justice MacFarland practised in litigation with Smiley, Allingham, MacFarland & Stortini.

Mr. Justice Harry S. LaForme of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal. He replaces Madam Justice Louise Charron who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Justice LaForme received a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall in 1977 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1979.

He was first appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division), now the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, in 1994. Prior to his appointment to the Bench, he was Chief Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission and Commissioner at the Indian Commission of Ontario. Previous to that, he was in private practice with a focus on aboriginal rights law.

Mr. Justice Laforme is a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation and is the first aboriginal ever appointed to a court of appeal in Canada .

John B. McMahon of Toronto is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario . He replaces Madam Justice Jean MacFarland, appointed to the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Justice McMahon received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor in 1981 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1983.

At the time of his appointment, he was Assistant Deputy Attorney General of Ontario. In the past, Mr. Justice McMahon also held the positions of Director of Crown Operations for the Toronto Region, Crown Attorney for the City of Scarborough, Executive Legal Officer to the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Senior Crown Counsel in Toronto. He has taught at the University of Toronto Law School for several years, been an Instructor of the Bar Admission Course and is a frequent lecturer.

Alison Harvison Young of Kingston is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario . She replaces Mr. Justice Harry Laforme, appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Madam Justice Harvison Young received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B and B.C.L.) from McGill University in 1983, as well as a Masters of Laws from the University of Oxford in 1988. She was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1985.

At the time of her appointment, Madam Justice Harvison Young was Dean at the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. She was as well Chair of the Ontario Law Deans. Previously she was an Associate Professor at McGill University; she also taught at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is a member of the International Society of Family Law, the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Law Teachers and has been a member of various university committees. She is the author of several legal publications.

These appointments come into effect immediately.

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Ref.:

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