7 women appointed to province’s top court

Appointees ‘exemplify the changing face of the bench in Canada today’

Seven women will be appointed to Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, and one to its family court branch, the Star has learned.

In a statement, David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general, congratulated the appointees, saying that “these eight judges exemplify the changing face of the bench in Canada today — one that features highly-meritorious jurists who reflect the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the communities they serve.”

Seven of the judges are to be appointed to the Superior Court of Justice, while one, Pamela Krause, is being appointed to the court’s family court branch.

The new justices come from the private and public sectors.

The appointees to the province’s Superior Court of Justice are :

Susan Vella, who has worked in a range of private practice settings, most recently as senior counsel at Rochon Genova LLP.

Eugenia Papageorgiou, a practitioner in Toronto, and who has acted as counsel to the Class Proceedings Committee of the Law Foundation of Ontario since 2006, which facilitates access to justice for the people of Ontario.

Audrey P. C. Ramsay, previously counsel at Blouin Dunn LLP in Toronto, born in Jamaica and emigrated to Canada at the age of 10.

Narissa Somji, most recently the counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Ottawa.

Jana Steele , who worked at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP as a partner.

Catriona Verner, who has been practising with Lockyer Campbell Posner LLP, where her work has been almost exclusively at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Renu J. Mandhane, a former chief commissioner at the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Krause, the family court appointee, has worked in a number of roles, including as senior legal counsel at the Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County.