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

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, 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.

Frances M. Wood, Partner at Wood Gold LLP in Mississauga, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court, in Kitchener. Justice Wood replaces Justice L. Madsen (Hamilton) who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for Ontario on April 30, 2024. Due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Kitchener.

Seema Jain, a sole practitioner in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court, in Barrie. Justice Jain replaces Justice J.P.L. McDermot (Barrie), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 22, 2024.

Tammy W. Law, a sole practitioner in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court, in Hamilton. Justice Law replaces Justice D.A. Broad (Brantford), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 2, 2023. The Chief Justice has transferred Justice L. Bale (Hamilton – Family Court) into this vacancy. The vacancy is therefore located in Hamilton – Family Court.

Rasim Misheal, a sole practitioner in Burlington, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court, in Welland. Justice Misheal replaces Justice W.L. MacPherson (St. Catharines), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective July 29, 2024. Due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Welland.

Quote

"I wish Justices Wood, Jain, Law, and Misheal every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Ontarians well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario."

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biographies

Justice Frances M. Wood was born and raised in Mississauga. She obtained her BA from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and then moved to Scotland, obtaining her LLB from the University of Edinburgh. Returning to Canada, she completed a further LLB at the University of New Brunswick before returning to Ontario where she was called to the Bar in 1998.

After a brief stint practicing insurance defence work in Toronto, Justice Wood began working in family law in 2000, at a variety of firms until starting Wood Gold LLP with partner, Jennifer Gold in 2008. She has practiced primarily family law, but also estate and civil litigation for the past 24 years, with a focus on trial and appellate advocacy.  She was appointed a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court in 2011 and has served as a Dispute Resolution Officer in the Region of Peel since 2010.

Justice Wood has always been active in the legal community, serving as President of the Peel Law Association, Chair of LibraryCo and of the Family Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and as Central West OBA Chair. She has proudly served on the Board of Luke's Place for the past several years. She was a regular speaker at education events for other lawyers. In 2023, she was awarded the Joel Kuchar Award for Professionalism and Civility.

Justice Wood is a proud Mom to her wonderful children and novice quilter.

Justice Seema Jain received her LL.B. from University of Windsor in 2001 after completing a M.SW. from York University in 1998 and a B.SW. from King's College at the University of Western Ontario in 1997. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2002.

Prior to opening her own firm, Jain Family Law and Mediation, in 2011, Justice Jain worked at a boutique family law firm in downtown Toronto, primarily as a litigator, in both family law and child protection matters. Since 2011, she has specialized in dispute resolution. She has worked with many high-conflict families to help resolve parenting and complex financial family law issues. 

Justice Jain is a Certified Family Arbitrator and Accredited Family Law Mediator. She has acted as a Children's Lawyer, Parenting Coordinator, Child Protection Mediator (one of the first on the roster) and a certified Collaborative Family Law Lawyer. She has acted as a Dispute Resolution Officer at the Superior Court of Justice and as a roster mediator at various court connected programs. She is the past Chair of Collaborative Divorce Toronto and the past Vice President of the Ontario Association for Family Mediators. She was a frequent speaker and author on a variety of family law topics to various professionals including lawyers and social workers. She has also mentored many professionals entering the family law dispute resolution field. 

Justice Jain and her husband have one son.  The family enjoys hosting friends and extended family, staying active, playing sports, and spending leisure time with their dog. 

Justice Tammy W. Law received a Hon. Bachelor of Arts and Science with distinction from McMaster University in 2000 and a Bachelor of Laws in 2003 from the University of Toronto. She articled as a judicial law clerk at the Court of Appeal for Ontario from 2003 to 2004. She spent one year at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China before being admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 2005. 

Justice Law began her career in private practice, litigating and settling family law and child protection cases. She then worked at Legal Aid Ontario as a staff lawyer at the Family Law Service Centre (Toronto) and in the General Counsel Office. She started her own practice in 2014. Her practice includes complex child protection and family law matters, including trials and appeals. She was counsel to the Motherisk Commission from 2016 to 2018. She has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Law is a past president of the Ontario Association of Child Protection Lawyers from 2019 to 2021. She was on the 311 Open Bar Education Committee and a frequent presenter at continuing legal education programs. She volunteered as a moot court judge at the Walsh Family Law Moot in 2023 and 2024. She has mentored many young lawyers, particularly in the area of child protection.

Justice Law lives in Toronto with her husband and two wonderful children. She sings in a choir that has performed at concert halls in Toronto.

Justice Rasim Misheal received a Bachelor of Laws in 2000 from Staffordshire University.in England. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007.

Justice Misheal served as a personal rights member with Ontario's Office of the Children's Lawyer from 2014 to 2024, where he represented children in complex legal matters. He was also a panel lawyer with the Family Responsibility Office from 2011 to 2018. Beginning in February 2021, he served as a Dispute Resolution Officer in Family Court, assisting families in resolving disputes outside the courtroom. He was a dedicated family law and child protection lawyer. Known for his compassionate approach, he built a respected career advocating for families and children.

Justice Misheal held significant leadership roles within the legal community. He was a past president of the Halton County Law Association (HCLA) and chaired the Family Law Section for the Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA). In November 2024, he began his term as FOLA Chair. He frequently shared his expertise through speaking engagements, including presentations for the Law Society of Ontario and the HCLA, and led numerous Continuing Professional Development programs for the HCLA. Committed to community service, Justice Misheal chaired the HCLA's Annual Golf Tournament from 2013 to 2018, raising funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Darling Home for Kids, and Radius Child & Youth Services. He also mentored junior lawyers, volunteered with the Ontario Justice Education Network, and coached youth soccer.

Justice Misheal enjoys spending and travelling with his wife, Nat, and their two children, Lara and Luca.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 825 judges since November 2015. This includes 202 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian history. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provided for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• 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