5 Ontario judicial appointments announced

By Sarah Khan ·

Law360 Canada (July 29, 2024, 2:40 PM EDT) -- Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced in a July 24 news release the appointment of five judicial appointees in Ontario: Renee M. Pomerance, E. Ria Tzimas, Michelle Flaherty, Brian DeLorenzi and Jacqueline A. Horvat.

Appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal in Toronto, Justice Pomerance holds a law degree from the University of Toronto and was admitted to the Ontario bar in 1989. Her practice focused on criminal law, judicial education and constitutional law. She became a member of the judiciary in 2006 when she was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario and, in 2023, she was appointed regional senior judge of the Superior Court of Justice for the Southwest Region.

Justice Tzimas has been appointed a regional senior judge of the Superior Court of Justice for the Central West Region. Holding a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, where she was an adjunct professor from 2009 to 2012, Justice Tzimas was admitted to the Ontario bar in 1993. Her areas of practice were focused on Aboriginal law, dispute resolution and civil litigation, and she worked as a Crown attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario before being appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in 2012.

Appointed a judge in the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton, Justice Flaherty holds a law degree from the University of Ottawa’s French Common Law Program and was called to the Ontario bar in 2001. She has worked for a leading Ontario law firm as a civil litigator, human rights lawyer and labour and employment lawyer as well as vice-chair of the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. She also worked as a labour mediator, arbitrator and independent investigator in both official languages in several jurisdictions.

Justice DeLorenzi was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie, where he was born and raised. He holds a law degree from the University of Windsor and was admitted to the Ontario bar in 2002. His practice focuses on insurance defence, with an emphasis on personal injury, but also includes a range of civil litigation. Active in the legal community, Justice DeLorenzi was a member of the Algoma District Law Association, served as treasurer on the board of the John Howard Society and frequently contributed to continuing legal education.

Appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Windsor, Justice Horvat holds a law degree from the University of Windsor and was called to the Ontario bar in 2002. She practised as a litigation lawyer in complex commercial disputes, economic torts, civil sexual assault, appeals and shareholder oppression disputes. In 2022, she was elected treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario and championed access to justice, women in law, the use of technology in law, equity, diversity and inclusion.