lise maisonneuveOntario will soon have a new chief justice to lead the Ontario Court of Justice.

The Honourable Lise T. Maisonneuve will replace outgoing Chief Justice Annemarie E. Bonkalo, whose eight-year term ends May 3, 2015.

Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve has presided over criminal matters in the Ottawa area for 12 years, rising to the role of Regional Senior Judge, East Region in 2011 and then Associate Chief Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in 2013, where she distinguished herself as a leader and innovator, responsible for court initiatives related to court modernization, judicial education, public legal education and addressing criminal court delay, among many others.

Before joining the judiciary, Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve was a partner with the Ottawa firm of Carroll, Wallace and Maisonneuve, where she practiced criminal law. She was also an advisor to the Canadian Forces, and Special Legal Advisor to the late Chief Justice of Canada Brian Dickson on various military investigations. A graduate of the University of Ottawa Law School, Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve was called to the bar in 1991.

Quick Facts

  • Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve will be formally sworn in as chief justice in a ceremony to be held in Toronto, on a date to be announced soon. Her appointment takes effect May 4, 2015.
  • The Honourable Chief Justice Annemarie E. Bonkalo was the first woman to be appointed chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, making Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve the second woman to hold the post.
  • Associate Chief Justice Maisonneuve is the first Francophone chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice and is the first person born and raised in Northern Ontario to serve as chief justice of this court.
  • The Ontario Court of Justice oversees matters related to criminal and family law. It is the largest court in Canada, hearing over 200,000 criminal cases, millions of provincial offences such as traffic tickets, and serving over 20,000 families in crisis each year.