Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment to the Federal Court
News release
May 8, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Anne M. Turley, Senior General Counsel at the Department of Justice Canada in Ottawa, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Justice Turley fills one of two remaining positions authorized under the Budget Implementation Act, 2019.
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“I wish Justice Turley every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a member of the Federal Court.”
—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Anne M. Turley was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She received both her undergraduate degree and law degree from Queen’s University. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1993.
Justice Turley spent her 30-year career as a civil litigator with the Department of Justice Canada in Ottawa, and was appointed Senior General Counsel in 2009. Her broad-based litigation practice consisted of appearances before all levels of courts, particularly the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Courts, on a wide range of issues, including administrative, constitutional and human rights law. She also appeared before federal administrative tribunals and commissions of inquiry. She was lead counsel for the Government of Canada before the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Justice Turley has been an active contributor to legal education and mentoring in the Department of Justice and the wider legal community. In 2009, she founded an initiative within the Department to support, develop and mentor women litigators. She has been a director of The Advocates’ Society, an advocacy advisor with the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, and a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in October 2021.
In her spare time, Justice Turley enjoys cycling, yoga, cross-country skiing and cooking. Together with her husband, she is the very proud parent of two adult daughters, one living on each coast.
Quick facts
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At the Superior Court level, more than 605 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
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To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
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Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
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Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Diana Ebadi
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
343-574-3446
Diana.Ebadi@justice.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
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