The five new justices will sit in Toronto
Five new justices, all assigned to Toronto, have joined the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Oct. 22.
Justice Lori Anne Thomas has worked as a sole practitioner focusing on criminal defence trials and as a volunteer lawyer helping unrepresented parties as a part of the Summary Conviction Appeal Program.
Called to the bar in 2009, Justice Thomas has served as president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, as a member of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association Board and as course developer and instructor at the Ryerson Law Practice Program. She has been a mentor to staff, associates, articling students and law students.
Justice Cidalia Conceição Gouveia Faria has served as an assistant Crown attorney, practising criminal law at the Ministry of the Attorney General for over two decades. In this role, she has handled serious criminal offences, specialized prosecutions and summary conviction offences.
Called to the bar in 1996, Justice Faria holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. She acts as secretary of the committee on diversity and inclusion for the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association and as a member of the Portuguese Canadian Lawyers Association. She has lectured at King’s University College at Western University and has taught legal stakeholders and professionals in Tanzania regarding gender-based violence.
Justice Peter Fraser has been an assistant Crown attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General for more than a decade. Through this position, he has acquired extensive criminal litigation experience through prosecuting criminal cases and through conducting trials, bail hearings, sentencing proceedings and dangerous offender hearings.
Admitted to the bar in 2007, Justice Fraser has served as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Justice Derek Ishak has been legal counsel to the Deputy Attorney General. He has also served as acting deputy director in the Court Services Division, where he managed a team of lawyers and furnished legal advice to the government on criminal, civil and family law matters.
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Called to the bar in 2008 in Ontario and Quebec, Justice Ishak has acted as an assistant Crown attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General, where he conducted trials, including those by jury, in English and French at the Ontario Court of Justice and at the Superior Court of Justice.
Justice Jennifer Deanna Strasberg has held the role of education lead at the Ontario Provincial Strategy to Combat Internet Crimes Against Children, for which she teaches and assists Ontario Crown attorneys and Canadian police in relation to cases that involve internet child exploitation.
Admitted to the bar in 2000, Justice Strasberg has previously served as deputy Crown attorney in the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office and as assistant Crown attorney, for which she prosecuted a broad array of criminal cases.