He worked at Legal Aid Ontario for almost a decade before his joining the bench
The Ontario government has announced Jonathan Bliss's appointment as the new regional senior justice for the Toronto region of the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Aug. 15.
Bliss has been with the Ontario Court of Justice since 2015, said a news release by the Ontario government. He presided in Barrie, where he helped implement the Simcoe County Drug Treatment Court.
From 2018–21, Bliss acted as local administrative judge in Simcoe County and Muskoka, a region covering seven court locations. After that, he became a judge in Scarborough then a judge in the new Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.
His previous legal roles involved being an associate at Rosen, Fleming for two years and a sole practitioner focusing on criminal law, according to the news release. At Legal Aid Ontario, he reviewed applications and gave assessments of legal opinions for almost a decade.
Bliss has acted as a mock trial judge for numerous educational programs, including the Ontario Justice Education Network’s elementary school civil mock trial program, Seneca College’s paralegal program, and Osgoode Hall Law School’s trial advocacy course, the news release said.
He served as a volunteer with Flemingdon Community Legal Services from 2009–15, the news release added. Here, he offered legal advice and services to low-income individuals. He joined the Ontario bar in 1993.
In his new role as regional senior judge, Bliss will assume responsibilities including scheduling court hearings and assigning cases to individual judges, under the authority of Toronto’s chief justice, the news release said.
According to the website of the Ontario Court of Justice, the court seeks to be open, accessible, and responsive to Ontarians’ diverse needs. The court’s judges and the justices of the peace preside over adult criminal, youth criminal, family law, and child welfare matters.
The Criminal Court deals with criminal charges imposed under the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and other federal legislation. Meanwhile, the Family Court addresses family cases with issues such as child protection, adoption, decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact, and support.
The Ontario Court of Justice also covers provincial offences, namely those imposed under provincial legislation. These include offences against traffic rules, by-laws, and environmental, health and safety, and employment standards legislation.
