Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Ontario

News release

May 8, 2023 – 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 the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Julia Shin Doi, General Counsel, Secretary of the Board of Governors and University Privacy Officer of Toronto Metropolitan University, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto. Justice Shin Doi replaces Justice M.A. Code (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 1, 2022.

Quote

“I wish Justice Shin Doi every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Ontarians well as a member of the Superior Court of Justice.”

—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Julia Shin Doi immigrated to Canada from South Korea and was raised in Toronto, as part of the Korean Canadian community. She graduated from high school as valedictorian. She attained a B.A. with distinction from the University of Toronto and J.D. and LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the bar in 1994.

Justice Shin Doi articled and practised at Borden & Elliot and then Gowling WLG. She was counsel for York University before being appointed General Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Governors of Toronto Metropolitan University. She was a bencher of the Law Society of Ontario and an adjudicator of the Law Society Tribunal.

Justice Shin Doi was an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, teaching legal drafting since 2001. She has also taught advanced corporate/commercial law at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and contract law at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law LL.M. program. She is co-author of Behind and Beyond Boilerplate: Drafting Commercial Agreements, which has been cited by courts. She was president of the National GC Network and past chair of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (Ontario).  She co-founded the Korean Canadian Lawyers Association, Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Roundtable of Diversity Associations, Women General Counsel Canada, and Korean Legal Clinic.

Justice Shin Doi and Justice Michael Doi are proud parents of Claire and Anne, who were nurtured by their wonderful grandparents, Hwa-Seung and Young-Cha Shin and Takao and Shizue Doi.

Quick facts

  • At the Superior Court level, more than 605 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, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.

  • To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.

  • Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.

  • 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.

  • The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Diana Ebadi
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
343-574-3446
Diana.Ebadi@justice.gc.ca

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

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