The Honourable David Lametti, 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 diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable Calum U.C. MacLeod, a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, is appointed Regional Senior Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario for the East Region. Mr. Justice MacLeod replaces Mr. Justice J.E. McNamara (Ottawa), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective December 30, 2019.
Jill C. Cameron, Deputy Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Madam Justice Cameron replaces Madam Justice A.M. Mullins (Newmarket), who resigned effective July 23, 2019.
Biographies
Justice Calum MacLeod was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Queen's University in 1977 and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1980. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1983.
In 2016, Justice MacLeod was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. He had previously served as a Case Management Master of the Superior Court of Justice from 1998 to 2016. Before that, he was an associate with Zwicker, Evans & Lewis, Barristers and Solicitors, in Barrie from 1997 to 1998 and a mediator and arbitrator with MacLeod Dispute Resolution in Barrie from 1995 to 1998.
Justice Jill Cameron obtained a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in 1994 and an LL.B. from Western University in 1998. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 2000.
Justice Cameron began her career as an associate in the litigation department at Fasken Campbell Godfrey. For the last 20 years, she has worked for the Ministry of the Attorney General as Crown counsel prosecuting Criminal Code offences. Her work has focused primarily on complex cases, including many homicide prosecutions. In 2018, Justice Cameron was named General Counsel in recognition of her prosecutorial ability, leadership and contribution to education.
For the past several years, Justice Cameron has been a member of the Ontario Criminal Conviction Review Committee, a group that reviews cases for potential wrongful convictions. She has been actively involved in mentorship and education, including as a director of the Ontario Crown Attorney's Association Homicide Course since 2016. In 2018, Justice Cameron was given the Frank M. Hoffmann award, the highest honour the Ontario Crown Attorney's Association can bestow on one of its members.
Justice Cameron is actively involved in her community, raising awareness for children and adults with special needs. She resides in Toronto with her husband and children.
Quick facts
-
At the Superior Court level, more than 350 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
-
The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
-
In addition, Budget 2018 provided funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.
-
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.
