Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments to the Federal Court

OTTAWA, ON, March 7, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments 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.

Darren Thorne, Member, Refugee Appeal Division, at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Justice Thorne replaces Justice H.S. Brown, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 15, 2024.

Andrew J. Brouwer, Senior Counsel, Refugee Law Office, at Legal Aid Ontario in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Justice Brouwer replaces Justice M.D. Manson, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective February 18, 2025.

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"I wish Justices Thorne and Brouwer every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Canadians well as members of the Federal Court."

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

Biographies

Justice Darren Thorne was born in Toronto, raised there and in Calgary. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws at Osgoode Hall Law School and his Master of Laws at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2001.

Justice Thorne began his career at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, and also practiced human rights and disability law at ARCH Disability Law Centre as a young lawyer. He worked internationally in rule of law enhancement, engaging in project work throughout various African countries and elsewhere in the world. Upon his return to Canada, he became counsel at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Constitutional Law Branch, where he vetted the constitutionality of government legislation and policy initiatives, and defended the province in constitutional litigation. He was later promoted to Counsel and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Attorney General. He would ultimately be appointed as Vice-Chair to the Human Rights Tribunal, where he adjudicated cases of alleged human rights violations, and then as a Member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada's Refugee Appeal Division, where he served until his appointment to the Court.

Justice Thorne formerly served as an Adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, and also on the Master of Laws programs at the University of the Western Cape, and the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. He taught a variety of subjects at these institutions, including Constitutional Law, International Human Rights, United Nations law, International Legal Practice, and Negotiation Skills. For a number of years, he also served on the Board of Directors for the Toronto legal clinic Justice For Children and Youth.

Justice Thorne is forever grateful to his family and friends for their love and support.

Justice Andrew J. Brouwer was born and raised in Scarborough and is a child of Dutch immigrants. He earned a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Toronto and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2004.

Justice Brouwer worked in social justice before studying law. He articled in labour law and then launched a refugee and immigration practice with Jackman and Associates. In 2011, he joined Legal Aid Ontario's Refugee Law Office, serving low-income migrants with complex refugee and immigration matters and leading the organization's test case and law reform work. A Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law, he litigated before the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Courts, the Supreme Court of Canada, and international treaty bodies.

Justice Brouwer has written and spoken widely on refugee and immigration law and human rights and has held leadership positions with the Canadian Council for Refugees, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and Romero House for Refugees. He served on advisory committees with the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court, and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and collaborated with the University of Toronto International Human Rights Program, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the UNHCR on issues including asylum access, statelessness, detention, and human rights.

Justice Brouwer is an avid cyclist, kayaker, and jazz aficionado. He draws inspiration and support from his community of friends, colleagues, and family, including his amazing daughter Georgia, his partner Sarah and her daughter Penelope, his siblings and their families, and his late parents.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 860 judges since November 2015. This includes 234 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]