Members

Hanny Hassan, London (Lay Member), Chair

After obtaining his Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1964, Mr. Hanny Hassan received his Master of Engineering degree from Dalhousie University (formerly Technical University of Nova Scotia) in 1971. Mr. Hassan has been an active professional, advancing within a major professional engineering consulting firm, where he served as a Director and a Partner of the firm and had significant managerial and technical responsibilities for the firm’s Building Design Division, until his retirement in 2002. He now manages an independent consulting engineering practice, Alef Consulting Inc., in London, Ontario. He is a member of the Ontario Panel of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, the President of the Council of the Muslim Community of Canada and the Past Co-Chair of the National Muslim Christian Liaison Committee. He served as the President of the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship, from 1991 to 1995. He has been, for many years, a member of the advisory committee of OMNI Television.

Madam Justice Judith C. Beaman, Regional Senior Justice, Ottawa

Following a brief time as partner in a small law firm in Kingston, Judith Beaman relocated to Toronto where she joined the Office of the Official Guardian. There she designed and presented training programs to lawyers representing children. She then became a founding partner in what eventually grew to become a nine person law firm, practising in the fields of family, civil, real estate and estates law. Upon moving to Ottawa, she became a Senior Legal Policy Analyst for the federal government with Status of Women Canada. From that position, she was appointed in 1998 to the Ontario Court of Justice, in Toronto, hearing family and criminal matters. Justice Beaman now presides in Ottawa, where she has become actively involved in judicial and public legal education, and in the creation of a specialized Drug Treatment Court. Between 2004 and 2007, she was a member of the Ontario Judicial Council. In September 2007, she was appointed the Regional Senior Justice for the East Region of the Ontario Court of Justice. Regional Senior Justice Beaman is appointed to the Committee by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Mr. Justice William B. Horkins, Toronto

Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 1998, Justice Horkins is presently the Local Administrative Judge at the College Park Courthouse in Toronto, a member of the Ontario Court of Justice Information Technology Committee and a former member of the Court’s Education Secretariat. Justice Horkins was called to the Bar in 1980 and practised primarily in the field of criminal law and professional discipline advocacy as both trial and appellate counsel. He was certified by The Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Criminal Litigation. In addition to his defence practice, he acted frequently as counsel to victims of crime seeking advice, standing and compensation. For many years, he was a part-time Assistant Crown Attorney and Counsel to the Discipline Committee of The Ontario College of Pharmacists. Justice Horkins has had a long-standing involvement in continuing legal education. He has been a Special Lecturer in Trial Advocacy at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, an Instructor at the Bar Admission Course and a frequent presenter and conference planner in education programs of the National Judicial Institute and the Ontario Court of Justice. Justice Horkins is appointed to the Committee by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Madam Justice Eileen Martin, Welland

Justice Martin was educated at the University of New Brunswick (Hon. B.A. 1976). She obtained her L.L.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1979. After practicing for five years in Toronto at a specialized family law firm, she spent one year teaching at Osgoode Hall Law School and at the University of Saskatchewan. From 1987 until the date of her appointment she maintained a family law practice at the law firm of Chown, Cairns in St. Catharines, Ontario. She was on the Executive and President of the Lincoln County Law Association and participated as a speaker in various Educational Seminars in the area of Family Law at both the local and provincial level. After being appointed as a Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in 2006, she has sat in Welland hearing family law cases. In August of 2009 she was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice as a member of the Ontario Judicial Council. Justice Martin is appointed to the Committee by the Ontario Judicial Council.

W. Ormond Murphy, Ottawa (Lawyer)

Ormond received his Bachelor of Laws (1975) from Queen’s University and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1977. He is currently practicing in association with Tierney, Stauffer, primarily in the fields of estates and trusts and civil litigation. Ormond has been actively involved in Continuing Legal Education and has been a guest lecturer in programs on Family Law and Estates and Trusts for the Law Society of Upper Canada, Ontario Bar Association, County of Carleton Law Association, University of Ottawa Law School and Carleton University. Ormond is author of Inter Vivos Gifts and Evidentiary Presumptions, Special Lectures of the Law Society of Upper Canada, 1996. Ormond was President in 1995 of the County of Carleton Law Association, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the County and District Law Presidents’ Association since 1996, sitting as Chair from 2004-2006 and is currently Past Chair. Mr. Murphy is appointed by the County and District Law Presidents’ Association to the Committee.

Alan D. Gold, Toronto (Lawyer)

Mr. Alan Gold practises at Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation. He graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law in 1970 with the Gold Medal in Law. He was called to the Bar in 1973. His practice is restricted to criminal trial and appellate work. He has appeared as counsel before all levels of courts in Ontario, as well as in other provinces. Mr. Gold has defended accused in many major trial matters. A large number of the many hundred appellate cases Mr. Gold has argued before the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada are reported. Mr. Gold is certified by The Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Criminal Litigation and was the first Chairman of the Criminal Litigation Specialty Committee for five years. He was honoured in 1997 with the annual G. Arthur Martin Award for Contribution to Criminal Justice. Mr. Gold was President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association for two terms from November 1997 through October 2001. Mr. Gold, elected as a Bencher of The Law Society of Upper Canada in May 2003 for a four-year term, was re-elected in 2007. Mr. Gold is an inductee of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Ontario Criminal Lawyers’ Association, The Advocates’ Society, and the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers (U.S.). Mr. Gold has written many articles and other publications on legal topics and has delivered speeches and presentations on a wide assortment of legal topics to lawyers, judges, law students and other audiences, and is frequently a media commentator. Mr. Gold’s most recent book is Expert Evidence in Criminal Cases: The Scientific Approach (Irwin Law, 2004). Mr. Gold is also author of The Practitioner’s Criminal Code, an annual publication with its inaugural edition published in 2007. Mr. Gold is appointed by The Law Society of Upper Canada to this Committee.

Frank E. Walwyn, Toronto (Lawyer)

Frank is a litigation partner at WeirFoulds LLP. He is a member of the Bars of Ontario (1995) and St. Kitts and Nevis (2000). He is frequently consulted and appears as counsel on litigation matters in the Caribbean. Frank participates on many legal and community boards and initiatives. His contributions include: President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL); membership in the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) where he sits on OBA Council as President of CABL; Director of The Advocates' Society; member of the board of Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO), a specialty clinic that produces and delivers public legal education to communities in Ontario that are low-income or who otherwise face barriers to full participation in the justice system; membership on the Steering Committee of DiverseCity: The Toronto Leadership Project, which is aimed at diversifying Toronto's leadership landscape; and, member of the Equity Advisory Group, which assists the Equity and Aboriginal Issues Committee of The Law Society of Upper Canada in the development of policy options for the promotion of equity and diversity in the legal profession. Frank is a contributing editor to Credit and Banking Litigation Journal. He speaks regularly to various audiences on diversity issues, and is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars on many areas dealing with the litigation process, including seminars put on by the OBA, The Advocates' Society, The Law Society of Upper Canada, CABL, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Bar Association and the Judicial Education Institute of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Frank is appointed by the OBA to the Committee.

Roger R. Davidson, Long Sault (Lay Member)

Mr. Davidson is a native of Sturgeon Falls. He has taught in elementary and secondary schools, in French-language and in English-language school boards. He has taught in regular and in special education programs, and has served as a vice-principal, a school principal, and a curriculum consultant. His academic qualifications include a B.A and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of Ottawa. He has worked with the Ministry of Education as an Educational Officer at the Central Ontario Regional Office. He has also served as a Superintendent of Education with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County Board of Education and with the Sudbury District Roman Catholic Separate School Board where he was responsible for such portfolios as Personnel, Special Education, Curriculum, Operations, and French Immersion. He also served as Director of Education for the Timmins District Roman Catholic Separate School Board as well as for the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Roman Catholic Separate School Board. After thirty-five years in education, Mr. Davidson retired in 1999.

Ann Murphy, Brampton (Lay Member)

A retired high school teacher-librarian with overseas teaching experience, Ann Murphy has also worked in commercial and corporate banking and investment sectors in Europe. She has traveled extensively in North America, Africa and Europe and initiated such community building projects as cross-border cultural exchanges for women in Northern and Southern Ireland. Currently, Ms. Murphy is involved in the Peel community through CARABRAM, Brampton’s annual multicultural festival and is a member of Brampton South Rotary. She also sits on the Executive and Board of Directors of United Way Peel Region. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education and is Governor of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation for Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association. She also sits as a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Catholic Education.

Shamira Qureshi, Mississauga (Lay Member)

Shamira Qureshi is currently employed as an IT Coordinator at the CPPIB (Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board) since 2009. For more than twenty years in the Information Technology industry, she has led major organizations and private firms in business development and human resources initiatives. Born in Zanzibar, Shamira has lived within many different cultures around the world. This has developed not only her extensive linguistic skills but more importantly it complements her understanding in interrelationship nuances. She volunteers considerably in the community with poverty related initiatives with the Ansaar Foundation and previously with settlement services QLIP (Quality of Life Improvement Program). Shamira is a Public Speaker and a past Toastmaster, she has facilitated numerous groups to reach consensus. She currently resides in Mississauga, Ontario with her husband and two children who attend university.

Gail Stiffler, Kingsville (Lay Member)

Mrs. Gail Stiffler is the President and General Manager of Toni-Gail Enterprises Ltd. since 1976. Mrs. Stiffler operated the Copper Kettle Restaurant in Harrow for twenty-three years. In 1999 she sold the business, after developing it into a highly successful enterprise and a landmark in Essex County. While living in Harrow, she served her community as Municipal Town Councillor. She is Past President of the Harrow and Colchester South Chamber of Commerce and took the lead role in developing their award-winning Strategic Plan for Economic Development. As Chair of the Committee to Amalgamate the Harrow and Colchester South Police services, she worked with the Solicitor General’s Office and the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services to negotiate an acceptable contract for all parties. She co-chaired the committee to “Save Harrow High School” which developed a workable plan with the School Board to save the school from closure. She served on the Board of Directors of the South Essex Economic Development Corporation and later took the position of Acting Manager and Economic Development Officer. As Founder of the County Focus on Business Association, she worked closely with all Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) and Chambers of Commerce in Essex County to stimulate and attract business to the area. In 1995 she founded the South Essex Tourism Association (SETA) which brought together tourist-related businesses and organizations to develop a united marketing plan for Essex County. Over the years she has served her community on several volunteer boards and non-profit organizations including the Harrow and Colchester South Youth Association, Canadian Artist’s Workshop, Kingsville Community Policing and the Kingsville Economic Development Committee.

Gabriel Tremblay, Blind River (Lay Member)

Mr. Tremblay retired in 1999 after 29 years in the teaching profession at the Elementary Level. He graduated from Laurentian University with a Major in Sociology and Political Science. He possesses a broad range of experience: Councillor, Town of Blind River for 24 years, Director of AFMO (Association Francaise des Municipalites de l’Ontario), Member of Blind River Police Board, President for the North Shore Region of AEFO (Association des Enseignants francais de l’Ontario), President of the Holy Family Parish Church Council, President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 189 and presently a Life Member (served in the late 50’s in the Royal Canadian Air Force). He continues to be involved and presently is the President of Blind River Non-Profit Housing Corporation, a Board Member of Algoma District Services Administration Board representing the territory without municipal organization, and Director of the Blind River Development Corporation.

As of November 30, 2009