Backgrounder: Biographies of newly appointed and reappointed Social Security Tribunal members

Backgrounder

Jean Lazure – Gatineau, Quebec

Jean Lazure is an accomplished lawyer with over 20 years of experience managing his own firm and practicing family law and civil litigation. He also has extensive experience in linguistic services and has taught Ethics, Professional Practice and Obligations at the École du Barreau du Quebec since 2013.

Mr. Lazure is fluently bilingual and holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Licence en droit (LL.L) from the University of Ottawa. He has been a member of the Quebec Bar Association since March 1998.

Mr. Lazure has been appointed as a part-time member of the Income Security section for a term of two years, effective January 22, 2019.

Nicole Zwiers – Whitby, Ontario

Nicole Zwiers is a lawyer with a number of years’ of experience in civil litigation.  Nicole has also taught law for over a decade in post-secondary programs and has served as president of the local union representing faculty at Durham College.  She more recently served as the vice-chair of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology 2017 bargaining team on behalf of approximately 13,000 faculty members across 24 colleges in Ontario.  Nicole has been a part-time adjudicator with the Social Security Tribunal since October 2014.  Currently, Nicole works within the regulatory profession in addition to her work with the Tribunal.

Ms. Zwiers has been reappointed as a part-time member of the Income Security section for a term of two years, effective January 30, 2019.

Adam Picotte – Burnaby, British Columbia

Adam Picotte has worked as legal counsel and advocate at the Health Sciences Association of British Columbia since 2014, with specialization in statutory interpretation, application, and administration of the Workers’ Compensation Act and Workers Compensation Regulations.  Since 2014, Mr. Picotte has also been a member of the Social Security Tribunal of Canada Income Security section, adjudicating Canada Pension Plan appeals.

Mr. Picotte holds a Bachelor of Arts, Criminology from Simon Fraser University and is a Member of the British Columbia Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch.

Mr. Picotte has been reappointed as a part-time member of the Income Security section for a term of two years, effective January 22, 2019.

Jacqueline (Jackie) Laidlaw – Toronto, Ontario

Jackie Laidlaw is an adjudicator and mediator who combines excellent interpersonal and mediation skills, sound judgment and a passion for analyzing complex situations to deliver fair decisions in a sensitive and fast-paced environment.

Ms. Laidlaw holds a Bachelor in Arts Political Science/Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, a Certificate Alternative Dispute Resolution from York University and a Private Investigation Certificate from Humber College.

Ms. Laidlaw has been a part-time member of the Social Security Tribunal of Canada’s Income Security section since 2014. She has been reappointed as a part-time member of the Income Security section for a term of two years, effective January 20, 2019.

Shirley Netten – Ottawa, Ontario

Shirley Netten has been a member of the Tribunal’s Appeal Division since 2017, and a vice-chair of Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal since 2007. Previously, in Vanuatu, she served as Counsel to the Ombudsman, Coordinator of UNICEF, and Legal Advisor to the State Law Office. Ms. Netten has also worked in private practice, at two legal clinics, and within the community health sector in Toronto.

Ms. Netten holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Health Science in Health Administration, both from the University of Toronto.

Effective January 22, 2019, Ms Netten was reappointed as part-time member of the Social Security Tribunal’s Appeal Division for two years, and was also appointed acting Vice-Chairperson of the same division.

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