Justice Geoffrey Morawetz, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, has been appointed as chief justice of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, succeeding Chief Justice Heather Smith, who retires June 30 after more than 36 years of service as a judge.
Justice Geoffrey Morawetz, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, has been appointed as chief justice of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, succeeding Chief Justice Heather Smith, who retires June 30 after more than 36 years of service as a judge.
Morawetz was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in 2005. He served as the court’s team leader of the Commercial List from 2010 to 2013, when he was appointed regional senior justice for the Toronto region. In this role, he heard civil, commercial and Divisional Court matters. Prior to these appointments, he practised at Goodmans LLP and at the firm now known as Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
Morawetz is a fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and an editor of the Canadian Bankruptcy Reports.
In 2012, Morawetz was honoured with the Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal, which is based at the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. In 2016, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Insolvency Section of the Canadian Bar Association.
Morawetz has lectured at universities in both Canada and the United States and has participated in several educational programs for the National Judicial Institute. Since 2008, Morawetz has also been an advisor to the Canadian Delegation at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law – Insolvency Law.
Morawetz graduated from the University of Western Ontario Law School in 1978 and was admitted to the Ontario bar in 1980.
"I know the Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz will serve Ontarians well as chief justice of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “He is highly regarded in Canada and around the world for his expertise and brings with him a wealth of experience in civil and commercial matters gained over a 14-year judicial career.”
