He joined bench in 2016, became acting regional senior judge in 2023
The Ontario government has announced Anthony Frederick Leitch’s appointment as a new regional senior justice of the Ontario Court of Justice in the Central West Region, effective Sept. 1.
The provincial government’s bulletin announcing the appointment provided more information on Leitch’s professional background and community involvement.
Leitch gained admission to the Ontario bar in 1995. He served as an assistant Crown attorney in North Bay and Hamilton and as acting Crown attorney in Orangeville and Simcoe. He then returned to Hamilton to work as an assistant Crown attorney and deputy Crown attorney.
He accepted an appointment to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2016. He presided in Hamilton and worked as the local administrative judge. In this role, he helped the court innovate, adapt, and shift its business from in-person to fully virtual proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leitch became the acting regional senior judge in the Central West Region in 2023. In this position, he assisted in reducing stay applications for proceedings based on delays, enhancing bail practices, and improving compliance with the framework in R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27 (CanLII), [2016] 1 SCR 631.
Beyond the courts, he has served as an active board member with the Nelson Youth Centres, which aims to help children, youth, and families within the Halton Region access mental health treatment, per Ontario’s bulletin.
In his new role as a regional senior justice, Leitch has the powers and duties of the chief justice in the region, subject to the chief justice’s authority. He schedules court hearings and assigns cases to individual judges, among other duties.
Last June 10, the Ontario government also announced the appointments of 10 new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective June 16:
Also on June 10, the Ontario government announced the appointments of two new associate judges to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, effective June 19:
