Two new associate judges were also appointed to the Superior Court of Justice
The Ontario Court of Justice has welcomed 10 new judges as of yesterday June 16.
The new judges are Ghina Al-Sewaidi, Emily Suzanne Beaton, Timothy John DiMuzio, Ann Marina Elias, Sean Ellacott, Joelle Malette, Peter Ross Maund, Sean Robichaud, Jennifer Trehearne, and Christian Andrew Vanderhooft.
Al-Sewaidi will sit in Dryden. was on the litigation and regulatory affairs team in Legal Aid Ontario's general counsel office. She was also acting director at Legal Aid’s Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan office, where she tackled complex criminal litigation files and oversaw legal operations. She initially focused on immigration law before shifting to family and criminal law.
Beaton has been assigned to Thunder Bay. She started as a criminal defence lawyer before transitioning to an assistant Crown attorney role at the Peel Crown Attorney’s Office, where she concentrated on mental health prosecutions. She served as vice chair of the board of directors for the North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services and was on a specialized panel evaluating complex child abuse cases at the Peel Children’s Aid Society.
DiMuzio will sit in Toronto. He was appointed lead counsel of the Crown Law Office – Criminal and coordinated the ministry’s gun and gang violence reduction strategy initiatives across the province. He also led the intimate partner violence prosecution team during a stint with the Downtown Crown Attorney’s Office.
Elias has been assigned to Newmarket. She was a Crown counsel and designated wiretap agent with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, prosecuting large-scale drug and firearm cases. She also launched the PPSC's Ontario Regional Mentorship Program.
Ellacott has been assigned to Sioux Lookout. He has conducted dangerous offender hearings, judicial reviews, and appeals; he was also a volunteer with Legal Aid Ontario’s prison law advisory committee. He founded his Kingston-based practice Ellacott Law Office in 2003.
Malette will sit in Thunder Bay. She established bilingual dispute resolution firm Malette ADR | RED in 2021 and has served as a Law Society of Ontario bencher. She is also a part-time adjudicator on the Transport Appeal Tribunal of Canada, the Social Benefits Tribunal of Ontario, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and the Law Society Tribunal.
Maund will sit in Halton. He became a deputy Crown attorney in January; throughout his career, he has prosecuted cases involving homicides, sexual assaults, kidnappings, and armed robberies. He was on the Intensive Firearm Bail Team, the Drug Treatment Court Team, and the Summary Conviction Appeal Team.
Robichaud has been assigned to Brampton. He was a member of Legal Aid Ontario's board of directors and was an assistant Crown attorney at the Newmarket Crown Attorney’s Office. He also presided over Off-Road Ontario's board of directors.
Trehearne will sit in Toronto. She worked with the Crown Law Office – Criminal, the PPSC, and the Superior Court of Justice as counsel in the Office of the Chief Justice. She focused on criminal law and has conducted drug prosecutions.
Vanderhooft has been assigned to Kenora. He commenced with the General Prosecutions Trial Unit in 2002 and was appointed senior supervising Crown attorney in 2014; in this role, he managed 10 prosecutors tackling high-profile gun and gang prosecutions. He became general counsel in 2016 and as lead counsel, prosecuted highly publicized cases in Manitoba.
All assignments were set by chief justice Sharon Nicklas.
The Superior Court of Justice will bring in Sherry Kettle and Candace Mak as associate judges on June 19.
Kettle has been assigned to London. She was previously a partner at Miller Thomson LLP's London office, concentrating on bankruptcy and insolvency and commercial, environmental, and civil litigation.
Mak has been assigned to Newmarket. She previously logged stints with Scargall Owen-King LLP, Flaherty McCarthy LLP, and Laxton Glass LLP. She has handled plaintiff-side class actions and insurance defence litigation.
All assignments were set by chief justice Geoffrey B. Morawetz.
