They will commence their new roles on April 11
The Ontario government announced the appointment of five new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice.
The newly appointed judges are Michelle M. Dwyer, Davin Michael Kumar Garg, Jason Little, John Andrew MacFarlane, and Elizabeth Wilson.
Michelle M. Dwyer, a member of the Ontario Bar since 2002, brings extensive experience in family, estate, and criminal law from her tenure at law firms, such as Borden Ladner Gervais, Moon Heath Law Office, and SV Law, where she became a partner. Dwyer also acted as a per diem Crown attorney for the Ministry of the Attorney General and was an agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Waterloo Region and Guelph. Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned her to Timmins.
Davin Michael Kumar Garg, who was called to the bar in 2013, was an assistant Crown attorney with the Crown attorney's office in Etobicoke. He worked as Crown counsel with the Crown Law Office-Criminal for eight years, where he conducted trials and appeals in both official languages and developed expertise in Charter litigation, commercial crime and driving cases. Garg also volunteered with the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) and served as a director on the board of the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto. Garg has been appointed to serve in Hamilton in his new role.
Jason Little, admitted to the Ontario bar in 2012, worked as associate counsel at Jaime L. Stephenson & Associate, a firm specializing in criminal law. Little also worked as an associate counsel at Wellenreiter, where he litigated estate, family, civil, and criminal matters. Since 2018, Little has managed Jason J. Little Criminal Law, focusing on work for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Chief Justice Nicklas has assigned Little to Hamilton.
John Andrew MacFarlane was called to the Ontario bar in 1995 and the Northwest Territories bar in 1999. He worked as an associate at Shore, Davis in Ottawa, representing clients in criminal, child welfare, and family cases. He was defence counsel at the Beaufort Delta Legal Services Clinic in Inuvik between 1999 and 2005. MacFarlane became a senior Crown counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Yellowknife, prosecuting cases in both the Territorial Court and the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories.
For nearly 13 years, MacFarlane served as senior Crown counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Ottawa. He prosecuted offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Criminal Code, and Security of Information Act and appeared in matters in specialty courts such as the Indigenous Peoples’ Court. Chief Justice Nicklas has assigned MacFarlane to Ottawa.
Elizabeth Wilson called to the Ontario bar in 2005, joins the judiciary with a diverse background in legal counsel roles and significant contributions to community service organizations. She was an associate with McCarthy Tétrault before she worked as in-house legal counsel for Family & Children’s Services of St. Thomas and Elgin, regularly appearing in court in child protection matters. Between 2014 and 2020, Wilson served as an assistant Crown attorney in St. Thomas and Stratford and became acting Crown attorney for Perth County in early 2021. Chief Justice Nicklas has assigned Wilson to Simcoe.
The five new judges will commence their new roles on April 11.
