The appointments will take effect on Feb. 13
Three new justices — Michael Callaghan, M. Samantha G. Peeris and Jessica Wolfe — have joined the Ontario Court of Justice.
Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey announced that Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Callaghan and Justice Peeris to Toronto and Justice Wolfe to Gore Bay. All these appointments will take effect on Feb. 13, stated a news release from the provincial government’s website.
Justice Callaghan has prosecuted hundreds of offences under the Criminal Code
Admitted to the bar in 1998, Callaghan holds over two decades worth of experience as an assistant Crown attorney in downtown Toronto. As an embedded Crown, he has furnished legal training to the Toronto Police Service.
In the course of his legal career, he has appeared in hundreds of criminal cases before the Ontario and Superior Courts of Justice and in appeals before the Ontario Court of Appeals. He has also acted on behalf of the Attorney General before the Ontario Review Board.
He has also participated in volunteer work with Pride Toronto and Rainbow Railroad.
Justice Peeris has served as alternate chairperson of the Ontario Review Board for 14 years
Called to the bar in 1994, Peeris has been a sole practitioner since 2003, with her practice centred on criminal, quasi-criminal and regulatory law.
From 2002 to 2016, she acted as alternate chairperson of the Ontario Review Board, particularly for hearings involving “individuals found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder.”
Since 2012, she has been a volunteer tutor for the adult literacy program at West Neighbourhood House.
Justice Wolfe has worked with various government bodies and agencies focusing on Indigenous justice
Admitted to the bar in 2007, Wolfe has since focused her practice on criminal law and has worked with various government bodies and agencies that focus on Indigenous justice. She has served as legal lead for the Kenora Justice Centre at the Ministry of the Attorney General, as Aboriginal justice strategy policy counsel and lead for Legal Aid Ontario, as Crown counsel for the Indigenous justice division at the Ministry of the Attorney General and as senior counsel for Aboriginal Legal Services.
Outside of her legal endeavors, she has also served on the community advisory board of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and has taught at the University of Sudbury.
