Federal Court

The Honourable Patrick K. Gleeson, a recently retired Canadian Forces legal advisor in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Federal Court to fill a new position created by Bill C-11.

Mr. Justice Gleeson received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Sherbrooke in 1985. He received a Bachelor of Laws (Distinction) degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1993 and a Master of Laws (Honours) from the McGill University Institute of Air and Space Law in 2005. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2013.

After being admitted to the Bar of New Brunswick in 1994, he joined the Office of the Assistant Judge Advocate General in Halifax as a legal advisor and worked in different directorates until 2000. He then became the Director of Legal Services, Office of the Judge Advocate General, where from 2005 he served as the Senior Legal Advisor. He is involved in youth programs in the community such as scouting, hockey and school programs.

Tax Court of Canada

The Honourable Don R. Sommerfeldt, a counsel with Dentons Canada LLP in Edmonton, is appointed a judge of the Tax Court of Canada, to replace Madam Justice G. Sheridan who resigned effective May 1, 2014.

Mr. Justice Sommerfeldt received a Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Lethbridge in 1972 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1977.  He also received a Master of Arts from Brigham Young University in 1974 and a Master of Laws from Cornell University in 2004.  He was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1978 and to the bar of New York in 2004.

Mr. Justice Sommerfeldt has been with Dentons Canada LLP (formerly Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP) since 2000.  Prior to that, he practised taxation, estate planning and pensions with Edward A. Zelinsky Professional Corporation; Cruickshank Karvellas; Milner Fenerty; the Department of National Revenue (Rulings Directorate) while on secondment from Milner & Steer.

Mr. Justice Sommerfeldt is a member of the following associations: the Canadian Tax Foundation and is a past governor; the Society of trust and Estate Practitioners, the Canadian Bar Association; the Canadian Association of Law Teachers; the International Fiscal Association; and the New York State Bar Association. The Honourable Henry A. Visser, a lawyer with McInnes Cooper in Halifax, is appointed a judge of the Tax Court of Canada, to replace Madam Justice D. Campbell, who elected supernumerary status as of June 19, 2015.  This appointment is effective June 19, 2015.

Mr. Justice Visser received a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University in 1988 and a Bachelor of Laws from the Dalhousie Law School (now the Schulich School of Law) in 1994.  He was admitted to the Bar of Nova Scotia in 1995 and to Prince Edward Island in 1998.

Mr. Justice Visser has been a lawyer with the firm McInnes Cooper since 1997 and became a partner in 2003.  His main areas of practice were tax law, corporate law, commercial law, labour law and employment law.  He was employed with Martin Visser and Sons, farming and export business, from June 1995 to May 1997.

Competition Tribunal

The Honourable Denis Gascon, a Judge of the Federal Court and member of the Competition Tribunal, is appointed Chairman of the Competition Tribunal, to replace Mr. Justice D.J. Rennie, who was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal.

Mr. Justice Gascon received a Bachelor of Science (Economics) from Université du Québec à Montréal in 1982 and a Master of Industrial Relations from Université Laval in 1984. He attended the Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, where he received a Master of Advanced Study in 1985. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal in 1988.

Mr. Justice Gascon was appointed to the Federal Court on February 26, 2015. Prior to that, he joined Ogilvy Renault (now Norton Rose Fulbright Canada) in 1989, where he later became a partner in 1997. His main areas of practice were competition law and international trade law.

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The Honourable Grace Choi, a lawyer with Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP in Vancouver, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Family Division, to replace Mr. Justice R. Crawford (New Westminster), who elected supernumerary status on August 18, 2014.

Madam Justice Choi received a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University in 1992, was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1993 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1996.  In 2013, she became an Accredited Family Law Mediator by the Law Society of British Columbia.  She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014.

Madam Justice Choi was previously a senior family law counsel with Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP in Vancouver – a position she had held since 2014.  She was an associate lawyer with Davis LLP from 1993 to 2005, when she became a partner with that firm.

Madam Justice Choi has published numerous papers regarding family law and has been a presenter on several occasions for the Continuing Legal Education Society. In 2007, she became a member of the Board of Trustees for Shaughnessy Heights United Church and she served as a Director of the Korean Canadian Lawyers’ Association since 1996.

Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories

The Honourable Andrew M. Mahar, a judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories, to replace Madam Justice V.A. Schuler, who resigned effective May 1, 2015.

Mr. Justice Mahar was appointed to the Nunavut Court of Justice in 2012. Prior to his appointment, he had been a sole practitioner in the City of Iqaluit since 2001.  He practised in Yellowknife from 1997 to 2001, and he was the Clinic Director of the Kitikmeot Law Centre of the Northwest Territories Legal Aid Clinic in Cambridge Bay (now part of Nunavut) from 1994 to 1997. He practised criminal law in Toronto from 1993 to 1994, and was duty counsel from 1992 to 1993.

Mr. Justice Mahar received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1990.  He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1992 and to the Bars of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in 1999.

Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan

The Honourable Jeffery D. Kalmakoff, a judge with the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan in Regina, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan, to replace Mr. Justice D.P. Ball (Regina), who elected supernumerary status on May 9, 2014.

Mr. Justice Kalmakoff was appointed to the Saskatchewan Court of Justice in 2009. He was previously a Crown prosecutor with the Public Prosecutions Division of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and Attorney General in Regina from 1995 until 2009.

Mr. Justice Kalmakoff received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993. He was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1994 and joined Hnatyshyn Singer in Saskatoon. He is a past member of the Saskatchewan Crown Attorneys’ Association and of the Canadian Association of Crown Counsel.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice

The Honourable Sylvia Corthorn, a lawyer with Kelly Santini LLP/SRL in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to replace Madam Justice L.D. Ratushny who elected supernumerary status on June 30, 2014.

Madam Justice Corthorn received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa in 1982 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1984.

Madam Justice Corthorn became a partner with Kelly Santini LLP/SRL in 1994, where her areas of practice were plaintiffs’ personal injury law, medical and dental malpractice, insurance defence litigation and commercial and estate litigation. She previously practiced civil litigation with an emphasis on personal injury and medical malpractice with the firm Hughes, Laishley, Touhey and Sigouin from 1989 to 1994, and with Cogan and Cogan from 1985 to 1989. She was a lawyer with Kennedy, Sweet, Shouldice and Whyte from 1984 to 1985.

Madam Justice Corthorn had served as a member of the Bench and Bar Committee of the Carleton County Law Association since 2008 and is a past member of the Board of Directors of The Advocates’ Society. She has presented papers and been a panel member at several Montebello Civil Litigation Conferences and at Continuing Legal Education Programs. She is a past board member of the Head Injury Association, Ottawa Valley Branch.

Superior Court of Quebec


The Honourable Charles Ouellet, a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the districts of Saint-François and Bedford, with residence in Cowansville, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the districts of Saint-François and Bedford, with residence in the City of Sherbrooke, to replace Mr. Justice Y. Tardif (Sherbrooke), who elected supernumerary status effective June 1, 2015.  This appointment is effective June 1, 2015.

Mr. Justice Ouellet was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec in 2011.  Prior to his appointment, he had been a partner with Cain Lamarre Casgrain Wells since 2008.  He had been a founding partner and associate of Ouellet Lapierre, a lawyer with the firm Monty Coulombe in Sherbrooke and also with Daigle Delorme Lebel.

Mr. Justice Ouellet received a Bachelor of Civil Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1986 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1987.
 

The Honourable Serge Gaudet, a lawyer with Langlois Kronström Desjardins in Montréal, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal, to replace Mr. Justice J. Lanctôt who, elected supernumerary status as of April 17, 2014.

Mr. Justice Gaudet received a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1983 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1987.  He attended Yale Law School in 1985 and received a Master of Laws from the Université de Montréal in 1994.

Mr. Justice Gaudet was a partner with the firm Langlois Kronström Desjardins, which he joined in February 2015.  Prior to that, he had been with Heenan Blaikie , with McCarthy Tétrault, and with Clark Woods Rochefort Fortier, all in Montréal.  His main areas of practice were civil and commercial litigation.

Mr. Justice Gaudet has been a member of the Canadian Bar Association since 1989, and is a past member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Bar Review, and of the Liaison Committee of the Montréal Bar with the Quebec Court of Appeal. He was formerly a law professor at the Université de Montréal and the Université de Sherbrooke, where he lectured on Contract law and private international law.
 

The Honourable Simon Hébert, a lawyer with Bouchard Pagé Tremblay in Quebec, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, district of Quebec, to replace Mr. Justice M. Fortin who resigned effective July 3, 2014.

Mr. Justice Hébert received a Certificate in Sociology in 1985 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1988, both from  Laval University.  He was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1989.

Mr. Justice Hébert joined the firm of Bouchard Pagé Tremblay in December 2014, where his main area of practice was class actions. Prior to that, he practised with Siskinds, Desmeules; Charest, Hébert; and Bouchard and Bouchard. He has been an officer with the Canadian Armed Forces since 1983.
 

The Honourable Chantal Tremblay, a lawyer McCarthy Tétrault in Montréal, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, district of Montréal, to replace Mr. Justice A. Denis (Montréal), who will resign effective May 31, 2015. This appointment is effective May 31, 2015.

Madam Justice Tremblay received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1990 and a Bachelor of Laws from Université de Sherbrooke in 1993. She was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1995.

Madam Justice Tremblay joined McCarthy Tétrault in 1997, and was later a partner. She became a managing partner in 2006. Previously, she practised with Pépin Létourneau. Her main areas of practice were commercial litigation, class actions, professional liability, insurance law, environmental law, medical liability and disciplinary law.
 

The Honourable Alexandre Boucher, a lawyer with the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions in Montréal, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, district of Montréal, to replace Mr. Justice C. Champagne, who has elected supernumerary status as of June 20, 2015.  This appointment is effective June 20, 2015.

Mr. Justice Boucher received a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal in 1994 and a Master of Laws (Criminal) from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2010. He was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1996.

Mr. Justice Boucher joined the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions in 2010, and was previously a sole practitioner from 1995 to 2010. He was an agent with the Public Prosecution Service from 2006 to 2009. He is a past vice-president and board member of Conseil executif de l’Association des Avocats de la Défense de Montréal, as well as a past president and board member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Honourable Cillian Sheahan, a lawyer with Poole Althouse in Corner Brook, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Trial and Family Division, to replace Mr. Justice R.A. Fowler, who elected supernumerary status effective June 20, 2015.

Mr. Justice Sheahan received a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts (History) from St. Mary’s University in 1994. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick in 1999 and was admitted to the Bar of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2000. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2013.

Mr. Justice Sheahan joined Poole Althouse after his call to the Bar, where he worked primarily for the Federal Attorney General conducting federal prosecutions pursuant to the firm’s agency contract. He became a partner with Poole Althouse in Corner Brook in 2006. His main areas of practice were corporate and commercial law, municipal, labour and employment law and corporate estate planning.  In 2004, he joined the Canadian Forces as a legal officer.

Mr. Justice Sheahan served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Corner Brook Port Corporation and of the Dunfield Park Community Centre. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Victorian Order of Nurses Canada Newfoundland Branch and of the Corner Brook Economic Development Corporation.