Government of Canada announces a judicial appointment to the Federal Court

News release

May 1, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Andrew D. Little, partner at Bennett Jones LLP in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Mr. Justice Little fills one of three new positions authorized under the Budget Implementation Act, 2019.

Biography

Justice Andrew D. Little was born in Kingston, Ontario, and is a graduate of Queen's University, Dalhousie Law School, and Balliol College, Oxford.

From 2008 to 2020, Mr. Justice Little was a partner at Bennett Jones LLP, based in Toronto. Before that, he practised in Calgary for a decade with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and served as law clerk for Madam Justice Claire L'Heureux-Dubé at the Supreme Court of Canada in 1990-91. In his practice, Justice Little provided advocacy and advice in a wide variety of litigation and regulatory matters, including competition and consumer protection cases, contract and commercial disputes, and domestic, international and investor-state arbitrations. He served as General Counsel at Canada's Competition Bureau from 2013 to 2015. He appeared at all levels of the federal, Ontario and Alberta courts, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Competition Tribunal, and many domestic and international arbitral tribunals.

Justice Little is committed to legal education and the professional development of younger lawyers and students. He has been a frequent speaker, writer, and presenter on competition/antitrust law, administrative law, contracts, arbitration, and legal developments in appeal courts. He has been a guest lecturer on administrative law and procedural fairness at the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto. From 2000 to 2007 he taught an advanced litigation course at the University of Calgary. 

Justice Little is married to Valeri Hall Little, a business coach. They have two daughters. 

Quick facts

  • At the Superior Court level, more than 350 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and those who self-identify as having a disability.

  • The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • In addition, Budget 2018 provided funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.

  • Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.

  • The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

  • Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Rachel Rappaport
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-6568
rachel.rappaport@justice.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

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