TORONTO, May 1, 2015 /CNW/ - The Law Society of Upper Canada has a new governing board for the 2015–19 bencher term, following the election of 40 lawyer benchers from a list of 95 candidates.
"I'm very pleased to be re-elected. Lawyers throughout the province have elected a group of 40 benchers who are well-equipped to lead the Law Society over the next four years," says Law Society Treasurer Janet E. Minor. "We are proud and fortunate to have lawyers from all communities, practice and work areas on our new board."
A total of 16,040 lawyers voted in 2015, representing 34 per cent of eligible voters. The voter turnout in the last election was 37 per cent.
Ontario lawyers elect 40 benchers every four years — 20 from inside Toronto and 20 from outside Toronto — to sit on the Law Society's governing board, referred to as Convocation. Eight of the 40 benchers are regional benchers — the candidates who received the highest number of votes from voters in their own electoral region.
The remaining 32 benchers are the 13 candidates from outside Toronto who received the most votes from all voters and the 19 candidates from inside Toronto who received the most votes from all voters.
The regions are Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), East (E), Central East (CE), Central West (CW), Central South (CS), Southwest (SW) and Toronto.
The following is the list of all 40 newly elected benchers, in order of standing. For those benchers outside Toronto, their region appears beside their name. Regional benchers are noted by an *.
| Toronto |
Outside Toronto |
| Janet E. Minor * |
Robert F. Evans (CE) * |
| Janet Leiper |
Andrew Spurgeon (CS) * |
| Raj Anand |
Raj Sharda (CW-CO) * |
| Paul B. Schabas |
Peter Beach (E) * |
| Julian Falconer |
Jack Braithwaite (NE) * |
| Christopher Bredt |
Fred J W Bickford (NW-NO) * |
| Sandra Y. Nishikawa |
Teresa Donnelly (SW-SO) * |
| Jeffrey W. Lem |
Susan T. McGrath (NE) |
| Howard Goldblatt |
Jacqueline A. Horvat (SW-SO) |
| Gina Papageorgiou |
Dianne G. Corbiere (CE) |
| Sidney H. Troister |
Carol Hartman (NE) |
| Rocco Galati |
Joanne St. Lewis (E) |
| William C. McDowell |
Susan Armatage Richer (E) |
| Joseph Groia |
M. Virginia MacLean (CW-CO) |
| Barbara Murchie |
Michael M. Lerner (SW-SO) |
| Malcolm Mercer |
Ross F. Earnshaw (CS) |
| John Callaghan |
Paul M. Cooper (CE) |
| Peter C. Wardle |
Janis P. Criger (CS) |
| Avvy Yao-Yao Go |
Jerry B. Udell (SW-SO) |
| Jonathan M. Rosenthal |
M. Anne Vespry (E) |
| * Regional Bencher |
|
In addition to the 40 elected lawyer benchers, the Law Society's governing body, Convocation, also includes five elected paralegal benchers and eight lay benchers (non-lawyers and non-paralegals) appointed by the province. There are also a number of ex-officio benchers.
Benchers meet regularly to formulate policy on matters related to the governance of the legal profession. They also participate on Law Society committees and may be appointed to the Law Society Tribunal to hear conduct, capacity and competence proceedings.
The Treasurer is the head of Convocation, presides over Convocation and is elected by benchers. The next Treasurer election will be held in June 2015.
Additional information, including candidate profiles, is available at www.lsuc.on.ca/bencher-election-2015/.
The Law Society regulates lawyers and paralegals in Ontario in the public interest. The Law Society has a mandate to protect the public interest, to maintain and advance the cause of justice and the rule of law, to facilitate access to justice for the people of Ontario and act in a timely, open and efficient manner.
SOURCE The Law Society of Upper Canada
Media Contact: Susan Tonkin, 416-947-7605, [email protected], Communications Advisor - Media Relations - The Law Society of Upper Canada, Follow us on Twitter @LawsocietyLSUC
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