As it begins its new mandate in January 2012, the Law Commission of Ontario has extended its commitment to consult with Ontarians by creating a Community Council composed of a variety of individuals who are enthusiastic about law reform and whose combined reach extends throughout the province. The Council’s mandate is to assist the LCO in its consultations and to provide expertise to the consideration of new and on-going projects. The LCO issued a call for applications to join the Council and has selected 12 individuals as the initial members.
The Council’s members are Jamie Baxter, Law Clerk with Federal Court and visiting researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto; Erika Gates-Gasse, Policy and Research Director, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants; Avvy Go, Director of Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic; Geoff Hall, Partner at McCarthy Tétrault in its Litigation Group; Bill Jeffery, National coordinator of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest; Carmela Murdocca, Department of Sociology, York University; Maria Marchese, Director of Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters; Julie Mathews, Executive Director of Community Legal Education of Ontario; Nicole Pietsche, Coordinator of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres; Anne Marie Predko, Ministry of the Attorney General; Mehreen Raza, a research consultant who has prepared studies for government and other organizations in the legal sector; and Christiane Saedler, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.
These individuals bring a wide range of expertise and experience and we are excited about the Community Council’s role in advancing the LCO’s law reform work.