Honouring our heroes of 2022; Justice Michael Tulloch appointed New Chief Justice of Ontario

BY PAUL JUNOR

Justice Michael Tulloch will be the first Black appointed to this new position in the history of the Court of Appeal. His rise to this stellar position caps a legal career that has seen him ascend to different levels of appointment from justice to being the first on the Court of Appeal.

Prime Minister Trudeau stated, “The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch is a highly respected member of Ontario and Canada’s legal community. As he takes on his new role as Chief Justice of Ontario and President of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, I know he brings a wealth of experience to the position and will continue to serve Ontarians well.”

It is important to know the Governor General is based on recommendations from the Cabinet and the Prime Minister. They are tasked with being responsible for the leadership and administration of their courts. In addition, they serve as members of the

Canadian Judicial Council, which works to improve the quality of judicial services in the superior courts of Canada.

Justice Tulloch completed his undergraduate degree in Economics and Business from York University and went on to finish his law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School in 1989. After being called to the bar in 1991, and serving as an Assistant Crown Attorney in Peel and Toronto from 1991 to 1995, he started his private practice. He worked in the area of criminal law, and was subsequently appointed to be Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2003. He was one of only three Black judges to be appointed to this position, and to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2012; he was the first Black Canadian to make it to this highly esteemed position.

Over the years, Justice Tulloch has engaged in a wide range of community activities. He served with several organizations as a Board of Director. Organizations include: North York Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Legal Aid Area Committee, the Canadian Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers Association, the Osgoode Society on Canadian Legal History, and the National Bar Association. In addition, he has also served with the: Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Tropicana Community Services, and the Jane-Finch Community Legal Clinic as a member of their Board of Directors.

Furthermore, he was one of the founders of the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation, which gives out scholarships to youth who have been in trouble with the law, or who come from at-risk communities, and are desirous of pursuing college or university education. He is one of the founders of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers where he was a Past-President as well as with the Caribbean and African Chamber of Commerce. He was a founding Board member of Rhema Christian Ministries and presently served as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Black Business Professional Association.

On June 2^nd, 2022, the Law Society of Ontario announced in a press release that Justice Tulloch would be receiving a degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD) on June 27^th, 2022. The press release states that he is a true legal pioneer who has advanced justice and equality rights not only through his work as a lawyer and judge, but also through his personal journey shattering systemic barriers.

The press release describes Justice Tulloch’s distinguished legal career over the years.

He played significant roles in several commissions such as: the Ontario Government Review on Civilian Oversight on Policing, the Review of the Ontario Legal Aid Plan, and the Criminal Code Review (conducted by the Federal Attorney General), and the Minister of Justice.