Jamaican Canadian judge appointed new Chief Justice of Ontario

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced the appointment of the Honourable Michael H. Tulloch, a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, as the new Chief Justice of Ontario and President of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Chief Justice Tulloch, who was born in Jamaica, replaces the Honourable George R. Strathy, who retired on August 31.

“The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch is a highly respected member of Ontario and Canada's legal community. As he takes on his new role as Chief Justice of Ontario and President of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, I wish him continued success. I know he brings a wealth of experience to the position and will continue to serve Ontarians well,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.

Chief justices and associate chief justices in Canada are responsible for the leadership and administration of their courts. They also serve as members of the Canadian Judicial Council, which works to improve the quality of judicial services in the superior courts of Canada.

Chief justices and associate chief justices are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of Cabinet and the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Justice Tulloch was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice for Ontario in 2003. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2012, becoming the first Black Canadian to sit on any appellate court in Canada.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Chief Justice Tulloch had served as an assistant Crown Attorney in Peel and Toronto from 1991 to 1995 before entering private practice, where he specialised in criminal law.

In 2016, Chief Justice Tulloch was appointed by the Ontario government to conduct important reviews which resulted in two extensive reports: the Report of the Independent Police Oversight Review (2017) and the Report of the Independent Street Checks Review (2018).

He served on the Government Response Team for the Commission on Systemic Racism while working as a Crown Attorney. He was chair of a review panel on Osgoode Hall Law School's admissions policy in 2006.

Chief Justice Tulloch served as a member of the Ontario Superior Court Education Committee, the National Judicial Institute, and the Commissioner's Judicial Advisory Committee on International Engagement.

He was a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto and a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Centre of Law and Policy at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).

The judge was a founding member and a patron of the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation and Chair of the Advisory Board to the Black Business and Professional Association. He has been a frequent speaker in various post-secondary institutions as well as professional and community forums.

Chief Justice Tulloch holds a B.A. from York University and a LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School. He has also received honourary Doctor of Laws degrees from the Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Guelph, and the Law Society of Ontario, as well as an honourary Doctor of Divinity degree from Tyndale University and Seminary.

He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1991.

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