Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces appointment of Chairperson of the Specific Claims Tribunal

December 16, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment.

The Honourable Victoria R. Chiappetta, a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, is appointed as the  Chairperson of the Specific Claims Tribunal for a term of five years, effective December 11, 2020.

Biography

Justice Victoria R. Chiappetta was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and is a graduate of York University, Osgoode Law School.

Prior to her appointment as a full-time member of the Specific Claims Tribunal in June 2019 and to the Superior Court of Ontario in November 2012, Madam Justice Chiappetta served as Vice President, Legal and General Counsel, for Essar Steel Algoma (now Algoma Steel). She remains the only woman to hold a position on the steel company’s executive. From 1995 to 2007, she worked at a number of legal firms across Ontario. Her main areas of practice were corporate law, civil litigation, environmental law, labour law, and human rights law.

As a member of the Superior Court, Justice Chiappetta has broad experience adjudicating in civil, family, and commercial courts. Her most recent post involved overseeing commercial list matters. Justice Chiappetta has been a Deputy Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice since December 2017, where she has assisted the territory and its history of judicial excellence.

Justice Chiappetta has been a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Canadian Italian Advocates Organization and the Legal Advisory Committee of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. She frequently lectures on legal matters at the University of Toronto and has been a contributing writer for Influential Women of Northern Ontario and Canada Law Book.