TORONTO, March 1, 2018 /CNW/ - The Law Society of Ontario has appointed Marilyn Marshall as its new Complaints Resolution Commissioner. Ms. Marshall will serve a two-year term, beginning on April 1, 2018.
"We are very pleased to have Ms. Marshall serve as the Law Society's Complaints Resolution Commissioner," says Law Society Treasurer Paul Schabas. "Ms. Marshall's extensive experience in government and private practice, including real estate, Indigenous law, social assistance and administrative law, places her in good stead to review complaints files closed by the Law Society where the complainant disputes that decision."
Appointed at the January 25, 2018 meeting of the Law Society of Ontario's board of directors, Marilyn Marshall, a private sector legal counsel and consultant, most recently worked on a number of governmental reform initiatives concerning condominium legislation in Ontario and review of warranty protections for new home purchases.
Between 2003 and 2016, Ms. Marshall worked for the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services on public policy files concerning wireless legislation, land claim negotiations and consumer reforms, and was also involved in corporate law, tax, litigation, regulatory, and legislative development.
Previously, Ms. Marshall was counsel to the Assistant Deputy Attorney General of Ontario, led an agency reform project in the Ministry of Labour, and played a role in the development of social assistance programs while working in the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
Ms. Marshall was counsel to the Rent Review Hearings Appeal Board and practised law for six years in general practice. A graduate of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, she was called to the Ontario bar in 1981. Ms. Marshall obtained an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2002.
"The breadth of experience touching many aspects of the law puts Ms. Marshall in an ideal position to carry out the complex and challenging work of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner. We look forward to her starting in her new position," adds Treasurer Schabas.
The Complaints Resolution Commissioner plays a vital role in the Law Society's complaints resolution process. In cases where a complaint against a lawyer or paralegal has been closed and the complainant is unsatisfied with the result, they can apply for a review of the case to the Commissioner. The Commissioner reviews the file to ensure the complaint was handled appropriately and the results were reasonable.
Ms. Marshall succeeds Mr. Bernard Morrow, who served as Complaints Resolution Commissioner since 2013.
The Law Society of Upper Canada is the governing body for more than 50,000 lawyers and 8,000 paralegals in the province of Ontario, Canada. The mandate of the Law Society is to govern the legal profession in the public interest by upholding the independence, integrity and honour of the legal profession for the purpose of advancing the cause of justice and the rule of law.
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SOURCE The Law Society of Ontario
Media Contact: Susan Tonkin, Communications Advisor, 416-947-7605, or [email protected].
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