Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Ontario

OTTAWA, ON, May 15, 2023 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, 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.

The Honourable Patrick J. Monahan, a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Justice Monahan replaces Justice I.V.B. Nordheimer, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 1, 2022.

Quote

"I wish Justice Monahan every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve Ontarians well as a member of the Court of Appeal for Ontario."

—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Patrick J. Monahan received degrees from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, followed by an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, where he graduated as the gold medalist, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1985.

At the time of his appointment to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in 2017, Justice Monahan was Deputy Attorney General for the Province of Ontario (2012-17). Previously, he had been Provost and Vice President Academic of York University (2009-12) and Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School (2003-09). He served as law clerk to Justice Brian Dickson of the Supreme Court of Canada and was a faculty member at Osgoode Hall Law School for over two decades. He was also part-time counsel to a major Toronto law firm for 20 years, acting in a wide variety of public law litigation at all levels of court.

Justice Monahan played a leading role in the establishment of the Law Commission of Ontario, where he was the founding chair and served on the Board of Governors. His writing has been cited by courts and tribunals in Canada, including by the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2008, he was awarded the Mundell Medal for excellence in legal writing by the Attorney General of Ontario.

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 610 judges since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, 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 provides 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

Diana Ebadi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 343-574-3446, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]