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The Honourable Patrick J. LeSage, C.M., O.Ont., Q.C

The Honourable Patrick J. LeSage, C.M., O.Ont., Q.C. was born in Tweed, Ontario, where he received his elementary and high school education and returned to work in the family fuel business until he enrolled at Osgoode Hall Law School in the fall of 1958.  He is a former Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, retiring from the Court in 2004 after 41 years of public service, 12 as a crown attorney and 29 as a judge.  He has presided on cases of every nature and kind, including landlord and tenant cases.  In February, 2004, Mr. LeSage retired from the bench and joined the law firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP as counsel. 

Mr. LeSage was appointed by the Government of Ontario to conduct an extensive review of Ontario’s police complaints system.  His final report, presented to the Attorney General in 2005, contained 27 recommendations aimed at creating a new and independent police review body that would be both equitable and effective for all. The Independent Police Review Act will entrench a transparent public complaints system, centered around a new civilian organization, and led by an Independent Police Review Director.  He was appointed in December 2005 by the Government of Manitoba to conduct a Public Inquiry into the first-degree murder conviction of James Driskell.  In March 2007 he was appointed by the Government of Ontario as Vice-Chair of the Consent and Capacity Board.  In 2008 Mr. LeSage was appointed by the Attorney General to conduct a review of large and complex criminal case procedures.

In December 2007 Mr. LeSage was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the Ontario judiciary, notably as Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Ontario, and for his ongoing dedication to public service.  In January 2009 Mr. LeSage was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest and most prestigious honour, for his outstanding contributions both to the judiciary and to society.

K. Lynn Mahoney

Lynn Mahoney is a partner practicing in Gowlings’ advocacy department. Her practice consists primarily of commercial litigation matters. In addition to her commercial litigation practice, she has criminal law experience as both a prosecutor and defence counsel. Her practice has also involved professional disciplinary matters. She has acted as counsel before the Law Society of Upper Canada and as independent counsel to the Ontario College of Pharmacists and the College of Midwives of Ontario.

Lynn has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Court of Appeal, and has represented her clients before regulatory tribunals, and in large public inquiries, including the Walkerton Inquiry. Most recently, she has acted as counsel on several inquires and also reviews commissioned by the provincial government: The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence, Report of the Review of Large and Complex Criminal Case Procedures and the Report on Financial Assistance for Victims of Violent Crime in Ontario.

Lynn received her BA in French and English Literature in 1989 from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She spent one year at Université Laval in Ste-Foy, Québec and obtained her LLB from the University of Toronto in 1986. Lynn was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1988. She is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association, and The Advocates Society.