March 30, 2015 – Ottawa, ON – Department of Justice.
The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:
The Honourable Mark P. Shelston, a lawyer with MacKinnon & Phillips in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Family Court Branch, to replace Mr. Justice K. Pedlar (Brockville), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of November 10, 2014 and whose vacancy is being transferred to Ottawa.
Mr. Justice Shelston received a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1981 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1982, both from McGill University. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1984 and to the Bar of Quebec in 1987.
Mr. Justice Shelston had been a lawyer with MacKinnon & Phillips since 2002. Prior to that, he was a sole practitioner in Ottawa from 1999 to 2002. He was a partner with Niebergall & Shelston from 1999 to 2002; with Niebergall, Bowles & Shelston from 1992 to 1996; and with Brennan, Tunney, Niebergall and Emond from 1987 to 1992. He was a lawyer with Hendin, Hendin & Casey from 1986 to 1987 and an associate lawyer with Conlin & McAlpin from 1984 to 1986. His main area of practice was Family Law.
Mr. Justice Shelston was appointed to the Family Law Bench and Bar Committee in 2008. He was a presenter at numerous conferences given by the Carleton County Law Association on family law issues in Ontario and Quebec. He was a sessional lecturer on Quebec Civil Procedure at the University of Ottawa (Civil Law) from 1997 to 2002. In 2012, he was listed as one of the best lawyers in family law by the directory Best Lawyers in Canada. He has been a member of REACH Canada since 2004.
The Honourable J. Paul R. Howard, a lawyer with Shibley Righton LLP in Windsor, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, to replace Mr. Justice T.L.J. Patterson (Windsor), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of May 4, 2014.
Mr. Justice Howard received a Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction (Political Science) in 1983 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1986, both from the University of Toronto. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1988. He also received a Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1995.
Mr. Justice Howard joined Shibley Righton LLP as an associate in 1988 and became a partner in 2004. He practised civil litigation, administrative law, constitutional law, employment law, and labour law.
Mr. Justice Howard was a full-time assistant professor at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law (2000-2001), while on sabbatical from the firm, and has been a sessional instructor since 2003. He had been a seminar instructor for the Public Law course of the Bar Admission Course in Toronto and Windsor from 1991 to 2006. He was a member of the Planning Committee of the Chief Justice of Ontario's Advisory Committee on Professionalism for the colloquium held in Windsor in 2008. He was also a community volunteer and speaker for the Trillium Gift of Life Network.
The Honourable Paul R. Sweeny, a lawyer with Evans Sweeny Bordin LLP in Hamilton, is appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to replace Madam Justice C.A. Tucker (Welland), who resigned effective January 16, 2015.
Mr. Justice Sweeny received a Bachelor of Laws from the Osgoode Hall Law School in 1989 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1991. He had been a lawyer with the firm Evans Sweeny Bordin LLP since 2005 and with Evans - Lawyers - Advocates in Hamilton from 1991 to 2004. He practised corporate law, commercial law, civil litigation, and personal injury law.
Mr. Justice Sweeny had been a member of the Ontario Judicial Council since 2013. He is a past director of The Advocates' Society (2006-2009). He is a past member and past president of the Hamilton Medical-Legal Association and of the Hamilton Law Association, Professional Issues Committee (2006-2007). He had been a director of Fanconi Canada Inc. since 2006 and Chair for the legal sector (Hamilton) of the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton since 2005.
These appointments are effective immediately.
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