The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Patrick Hurley, partner at Hurley Law LLP, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario in Belleville. He replaces Mr. Justice W.U. Tausendfreund, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 14, 2016.
Biography
Justice Patrick Hurley obtained his B.A. in Classics from Queen’s University in 1982 and his LL.B. from the University of Toronto in 1985. After practising with a large downtown Toronto firm, Justice Hurley returned to his hometown of Belleville, Ontario, to form Graydon & Hurley LLP in 1991. There, he maintained a broad and diverse legal practice – including estate law, all manner of civil litigation, and criminal law. In the criminal sphere, he has significant experience both as defence counsel and as a standing agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
In 2006, Justice Hurley was appointed a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court. He has served as the federal Crown representative on numerous local committees, including the Tyendinaga Justice Circle, a restorative justice committee on the Territory of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. He has dedicated much of his free time to his community, including serving on the Board of Directors of the local Alzheimer Society.
Excerpts from Justice Hurley’s judicial application will be available shortly.
Quick Facts
- Budget 2017 proposes additional funding of $55 million over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and $15.5 million per year thereafter for 28 new federally-appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 would be allotted to Alberta and one to the Yukon, with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions.
- To ensure a judiciary that is responsive, ethical and sensitive to the evolving needs of Canadian society, the Canadian Judicial Council will receive $2.7 million over five years and $0.5 million ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity.
- Today’s appointments are separate from the Budget 2017 announcement.
- 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 Judicial Advisory Committees in ten jurisdictions have been reconstituted. Most recently, Minister Wilson-Raybould announced the composition of three new Judicial Advisory Committees on April 13, 2017.
- This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canada judicial appointment process announced on August 2, 2016. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a thoroughly vetted list of candidates.
Photo from: www.theglobeandmail.com
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