Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in Nunavut

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Mark T. Mossey, Executive Legal Officer at the Office of the Chief Justice of the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit, is appointed a Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit. Justice Mossey replaces Justice S. Cooper, who was appointed Chief Justice of the Nunavut Court of Justice effective November 27, 2024.

Quote

"I wish Justice Mossey every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will  serve the people of Nunuvut well as a member of the Nunavut Court of Justice."

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Mark T. Mossey received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta in 2000 (with Distinction), his LLB from the Faculty of Law at Queens University in 2003, and his Masters of Law degree (with Merit), with a concentration on Constitutional and Human Rights Law, from the London School of Economics in 2018. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2004 and to the Nunavut Bar in 2010.

Justice Mossey has been the Executive Legal Officer in the Office of the Chief Justice of the Nunavut Court of Justice for the past several years. Prior to taking on this role, he was a poverty and civil law counsel at Maliganik Tukisiniarvik Legal Services in Iqaluit from 2010 through 2015.  During the 2019 and 2020 academic years, he taught civil procedure, trial advocacy, and a course on poverty, equality, and the law at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Law's Nunavut Law Program in Iqaluit.

Justice Mossey was an active volunteer with the Law Society of Nunavut and the Federation of Law Societies. He was nominated by the Law Society of Nunavut to serve on Federation Council in November 2022.  He previously served on Council as Nunavut's representative during the 2013-2014 term prior to becoming the President of the Law Society of Nunavut in 2014. In the fall of 2024, he was elected to serve on the Executive of the Federation as second vice president.

Justice Mossey and his spouse Amber live in Iqaluit with their four hockey playing children.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 830 judges since November 2015. This includes 203 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian history. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provided for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Deputy Director, Communications, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]