Brief Biographical Note of Justice Karen M. Weiler

Justice Weiler received her B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan and her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1967. After articling with Blake, Cassels & Graydon, she was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1969. She practised law with Weiler, Weiler and Maloney in Thunder Bay until 1972 when she returned to Toronto and entered the LL.M. program at Osgoode Hall. She received her LL.M. in 1974. She was counsel for the Ministry of the Attorney General and later became Senior Counsel in the Policy Development Division. Appointed to the former District Court of Ontario in 1980, and to the Ontario High Court, February 21, 1989, Justice Weiler was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal on March 12, 1992. She was appointed to the Court Martial Appeal Court on July 26, 1995. Justice Weiler is fluent in French and presides over appeals in the French language. Over the course of her twenty-four years on the bench, and now twelve years as an appellate judge, Justice Weiler has written judgments in all areas of from, both criminal and civil.

Justice Weiler has been a director of the American Judicature Society, the Canadian Judges Conference, and the International Association of Women Judges – Canadian Chapter. She has also served on the Justice Minister’s Advisory Committee for Judicial Appointments. She was one of seven judges from Canada chosen to participate in the first Canadian American Legal Exchange led by the respective Chief Justices of Canada and the United States.

Justice Weiler is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer. Groups to which she has given lectures include the Canadian Judges Conference, the Ontario Superior Court Judges Conference, the Law Society of Upper Canada Continuing Legal Education programs, the Canadian Bar Association, at the Provincial and National levels, the Advocates’ Society, the Crown Attorneys Association, the Association of Women and the Law and the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall law schools.

In June 2001, Justice Weiler completed the mediation training program in dispute resolution, workplace conflict and public policy issues by CDR Associates of Boulder, Colorado. This service is now offered by the Court of Appeal as a voluntary option to litigants who request it. In November 2001, she completed the Stitt Feld Handy Group Advanced ADR Workshop.