Fil-Canadian appointed judge of Ontario Superior Court

A Filipino-Canadian has been elevated to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, the first to hold such a distinction, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

 

Justice Steve Anthony Coroza, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines, is the first Filipino-Canadian to hold a seat at a provincial superior court in Canada.

 

"His position is the highest attained by a Filipino-Canadian in the Canadian judiciary thus far," the DFA said, adding Canada’s Department of Justice announced the appointment last April 29.

 

Coroza will formally assume his new post on July 8, the DFA said in a news release.

 

"I join Filipino communities across Canada in celebrating Justice Coroza’s latest achievement.  His elevation to a prominent position in the Canadian judiciary sharpens the visibility of Filipinos in Canada’s multicultural society and should inspire younger generations of Filipino-Canadians to aim for excellence in all their endeavors," said Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan.

 

The DFA said Coroza earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor Law School in 1995, and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1997.

 

Coroza completed a Master of Laws degree at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2003.

 

Coroza started as a staff duty counsel for Ontario Legal Aid in Toronto, where he practiced criminal law until 1998.

 

He then served as a senior counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada until 2009, appearing at all levels of court in Ontario and supervising more than 100 federal Crown agents throughout southern Ontario.

 

Also, the DFA said Coroza was valued as a mentor to young lawyers as a member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers.

 

"He also served as an instructor for the Bar Admission Course (2001-2009), a part-time instructor at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology (2004-2007), and an instructor of the Trial Practice Course and Trial Advocacy Workshop at Osgoode Hall Law School where he is currently an adjunct professor," it said.

 

Coroza co-authored a publication entitled "Sentencing Drug Offenders."

 

Meanwhile, he also served on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer Society of Peel and as treasurer of the Mississauga Community Legal Services clinic. - VVP, GMA News