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

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 6, 2021 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, 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.

R. Philip Campbell, Partner at Lockyer Campbell Posner in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Mr. Justice Campbell replaces Madam Justice J.E. Ferguson (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective April 30, 2021.

Susan Stothart, Director of Crown Operations (North Region) at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Sudbury, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Madam Justice Stothart replaces Mr. Justice E. Koke (Parry Sound), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 19, 2021.

Quote

 "I wish Justices Campbell and Stothart every success in their new roles. I know they will serve the people of Ontario well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario."

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

Biographies

Justice R. Philip Campbell was born and raised in the Atlantic Provinces. He graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1982. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1984.

Mr. Justice Campbell practised with Copeland Liss Campbell from 1984 to 1999 in the area of criminal law. From 2000 to 2003, he was a partner in the criminal division of Sack Goldblatt Mitchell. In 2003, he co-founded the firm Lockyer Campbell Posner, where he continued his practice in criminal law, with an emphasis on appellate advocacy and the correction of miscarriages of justice under Part XXI.1 of the Criminal Code. He was an active member of the case review committee of Innocence Canada. In 2020, he was awarded the G. Arthur Martin Medal for making an outstanding contribution to criminal justice.

Justice Campbell has been a frequent speaker in a variety of legal education programs, including lectures at the University of Toronto Centre of Criminology (where he was an adjunct instructor); the University of Toronto Faculty of Law; the National Criminal Law Program; the National Judicial Institute; the Law Society of Upper Canada; and the Criminal Lawyers Association.

In his free time, Justice Campbell enjoys motorcycling, scuba diving, his book club, and a range of travel and family activities with his wife and teenage daughter.

Justice Susan Stothart was born and raised in a small community in Northern New Brunswick, along the shores of the Bay de Chaleur. She received her B.A. from Acadia University and her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1994.

Madam Justice Stothart began her career as an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Sudbury Crown Attorney's Office in 1994. She has spent the majority of her career in Northern Ontario and has practised criminal and quasi criminal law at both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice for over 27 years. In 2009, she was appointed Crown Attorney for the District of Sudbury. In 2018, she became the Director of Crown Operations for the North Region. In her capacity as Director, Justice Stothart was responsible for the oversight of criminal prosecutions in both the Northeast and Northwest judicial regions and travelled extensively throughout the region working collaboratively with various participants in the justice system on the unique issues facing the North. 

Justice Stothart is deeply committed to legal education and has regularly presented to the police, community organizations, and members of the profession.  She has been an adjunct professor with the Law and Justice Program at Laurentian University and was involved in the development and launch of the Crown Mentorship Program in 2021.

Justice Stothart and her husband are the proud parents of a blended family of four wonderful children and spend as much time as they can outdoors enjoying the beauty of Northern Ontario.

Quick Facts

• At the Superior Court level, more than 475 judges have been appointed 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, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• 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