Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced

OTTAWA, February 8, 2013 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Kofi N. Barnes, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Brampton) to replace Mr. Justice Patrick Smith (Thunder Bay), who was transferred to Ottawa and whose position was transferred to Brampton.

Mr. Justice Barnes received a Bachelor of Arts from Trent University in 1988 and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1991. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1993.

Mr. Justice Barnes was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2004. He served as a local administrative judge for the Ontario court house operations in Toronto. Prior to that appointment, he was a lawyer with the Department of Justice, Federal Prosecution Service, Ontario Region, from 1993 to 2004.

Mr. Justice Barnes was the founder of the Durham Mental Health and Drug Treatment Court in Oshawa in 2006 and co-founder of Canada's first Drug Treatment Court in Toronto in 1998. He is the founding president of the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals, a non-profit organization. He has provided training sessions internationally under the sponsorship of the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

The Honourable Mary E. Vallee, a lawyer with HGR Graham LLP in Barrie, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Newmarket) to replace Mr. Justice P. D. Lauwers, who was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal on December 13, 2012.

Madam Justice Vallee received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1982 and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1985. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1987.

Madam Justice Vallee was a partner with HRG Graham Partners LLP beginning in 1999 and an associate at the firm from 1994 to 1999. She was a lawyer with Oatley Purser from 1990 to 1994, Zwicker, Evans and Lewis in Orillia from 1988 to 1990 and Lerner and Associates in London from 1987 to 1988. Her main practice areas were commercial law, construction law, contract law, administrative law, and wills and estates.

Madam Justice Vallee was a charter member of the Kemperfelt Rotary Club serving as president in 2004. Additionally, she served on the board of directors for Big Sisters of Barrie and the MacLaren Art Centre.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:

• Julie Di Mambro
  Press Secretary
  Office of the Minister of Justice
  613-992-4621

• Media Relations
  Department of Justice
  613-957-4207