Supreme Court Justice Michael Moldaver to retire Sept. 1
'It has been an honour for me to be a member of this country’s highest court,' Moldaver says in statement
Supreme Court Justice Michael Moldaver will retire from the bench Sept. 1, ending a long judicial career that saw him sit on Canada's highest court for more than a decade.
"It has been an honour for me to be a member of this country's highest court for the better part of 11 years," Moldaver said in a statement Thursday.
"During that timeframe, I have had the privilege of serving under two pre-eminent chief justices — Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and Chief Justice Richard Wagner — persons of honour and integrity, courage and vision, who share a passion for justice and a fervent commitment to maintaining the rule of law," he said, "protecting an independent judiciary, and preserving an unparalleled justice system for all Canadians."
Moldaver was born in 1947 and raised in Peterborough, Ont. He started practising criminal law in 1973, was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1985 and an Ontario High Court justice in 1990 before serving on the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Considered an expert in criminal law, Moldaver formerly taught at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and is the former co-chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Ontario advocacy symposium committee. He also worked with the National Judicial Institute helping to train new judges.
When he was appointed to Canada's top court in 2011, the Bloc Québécois took issue with the fact that Moldaver did not speak French.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson defended the move at the time, saying Moldaver was being elevated to the highest bench in the country on his legal merit.
"Justice Moldaver has made exceptional contributions to Canadian jurisprudence, particularly in the area of criminal law," Wagner said in the statement Thursday.
"Canadians have benefited from his humanity and deep commitment to fair and just results. His colleagues and I have profited from his wisdom, warm collegiality and wit. We wish him a very happy retirement."
Even after he steps down from the bench, Moldaver will still take a part in the decisions of cases he helped preside over for an additional six months.