Judicial Insights on Case Preparation: Bench Perspectives

The CBA is a professional organization that provides educational and networking opportunities for lawyers. Representing more than 36,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada, the CBA is committed to enhancing the professional and commercial interests of a diverse membership and to protecting the independence of the judiciary and the Bar.

Justice Ranjan K. Agarwal was born in Nelson, B.C., and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He has lived in Toronto since graduating from the Joint LL.B./M.A. (International Affairs) program at the University of Ottawa and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, in 2003. He also has a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Alberta and an LL.M. (Constitutional Law) from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2004 and the Bar of Saskatchewan in 2019. Justice Agarwal was a partner at Bennett Jones LLP. His practice focused on class actions, commercial litigation, employment and human rights disputes, and public and constitutional law. He has appeared before courts and tribunals across Canada, including 19 appeals at the Supreme Court of Canada. He began his career as an articling student and associate at Hicks Morley LLP. Justice Agarwal is a past president of the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto, one of the largest and most diverse bar associations in North America. He was elected to the executive of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) in 2017 and recently served as First Vice President. He was the first South Asian to serve as an OBA officer. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and is a co-author of Class Actions Law and Practice. In 2020, The Advocates’ Society awarded him the Eric Hoaken Excellence in Mentoring Award for his commitment to training a new generation of barristers. He was also a recipient of the CBA’s Young Lawyers Forum Pro Bono Award for his dedication to pro bono service. Justice Agarwal enjoys family movie nights with his spouse, Sunita, and daughters, Asha and Diya, running, planning family vacations, and reading South Asian fiction.

Justice Kevin P. Feehan graduated from the University of Alberta Law School in 1978, articled at Milner & Steer, and practiced with that firm through its various iterations (Milner & Steer, Milner Fenerty, Fraser Milner, Fraser Milner Casgrain, FMC LLP and Dentons LLP) for his entire 38-year career. As a civil litigator, he practiced in the areas of constitutional, education, health, insurance, personal injury, corporate-commercial, medical negligence, and oil and gas litigation. Justice Feehan has been a sessional instructor in constitutional litigation since 2000 and is the author of more than 200 legal publications. He was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta in October 2016. Justice Feehan has been actively involved in the community as Vice-Chair of St. Joseph’s College at the University of Alberta, Chancellor of Newman Theological College and St. Joseph’s Seminary, Chair of Catholic Social Services and Catholic Charities Societies, Chair of the Edmonton Social Planning Council, President of The Works International Visual Arts Society, and numerous other boards and committees. He is the recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the Alberta Centennial Medal for Public Service, the Royal Lifesaving Society Commonwealth Honorary Life Governor Award, the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association President’s Award, and the Justice James Higgins Award. Justice Feehan was named Best Lawyers in Canada “Lawyer of the Year” in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 in the areas of personal injury, insurance and medical negligence litigation. He was also named Queen’s Counsel in 2003 and a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2015.

Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie was born and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1985, an LLB from the University of Toronto in 1989, and was called to the BC bar in 1991. For more than 20 years Chief Judge Gillespie served as Crown counsel in the Fraser region of British Columbia, working primarily in Surrey and New Westminster. In 2005 she became Regional Crown Counsel, and in 2009 she was appointed King’s Counsel. Chief Judge Gillespie was appointed to the Provincial Court in 2012, sat in Surrey and the Fraser Valley, and was appointed an Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court in 2016, Acting Chief Judge on May 7, 2018, and Chief Judge on October 19, 2018. Chief Judge Gillespie will serve in this position until December 31, 2026. For many years she represented the Court on the board of directors of the BC Justice Education Society (JES). From 2015 through 2021 she worked with JES to provide ongoing education and training to police, prosecutors, and magistrates to strengthen the justice system of Guyana. In 2021 she joined the board of Access Pro Bono, a charitable organization using volunteers to provide access to justice throughout BC. Chief Judge Gillespie also served on the BC Provincial Court Judges’ Association executive and participated in a number of Court committees including the Criminal Law Committee. She is a member of and Chair of the Canadian Council of Chief Judges and a member of the National Judicial Institute's Board of Governors. In addition, she has been involved in providing education for members of the judicial and legal communities including programs hosted by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, Trial Lawyers Association, the Advocates Society, Canadian Bar Association, National Judicial Institute, New-Judges training, and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice.

Born in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. Education at University of Manitoba Law School, 1982. Admitted to the Bar of Manitoba in 1983 and the Bar of Ontario in 1996. Practised as an associate with the law firm of Marcoux, Bétournay, LaBossière in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba from 1984 to 1987. Counsel with the Winnipeg Regional Office of the Federal Department of Justice. From 1990 to 1995, counsel for Treasury Board Legal Services Unit, Ottawa. Appointed Regional Director of the Winnipeg Regional Office of the Federal Department of Justice in May 1997. Appointed Prothonotary of the Federal Court of Canada at the Toronto Local Office, April 1, 1999. Since July 2, 2003, the date of the coming into force of the Courts Administration Service Act, Prothonotary of the Federal Court. Appointed Justice of the Federal Court, and ex officio member of the Federal Court of Appeal, on June 8, 2017.

Justice McGee is the lead family judge for the Brampton Superior Court of Justice and has been the judicial lead for the successful expansion of Brampton’s Dispute Resolution Program, and Mediation Services. Prior to July of 2020, she was the most senior full-time Unified Family Court Judge in Newmarket, appointed in May of 2009. Justice McGee hears cases in all areas of the law, including civil and family appeals. In family law, she champions an evidence-based, trauma-informed, and multidisciplinary approach to helping families in transition; recognizing at the same time that our society as a whole is in transition. Prior to her appointment, Justice McGee was a President of the Ontario Bar Association and a Practice Reviewer for the Law Society of Ontario. She has served on committees, legislative working groups and legal associations from the local to the national level. She continues to speak at Judicial and Legal Education programs with a focus on Modern Court Procedures, Evidence, and Effective Advocacy. She supports young lawyer initiatives and annually presides at the Walsh Family Law Negotiation Competition, a province-wide law school competition that she co-established in 2013.

A graduate of the University of Regina and Osgoode Hall Law School, Justice Robertson articled with Leslie Shaw and was admitted to the Law Society of Saskatchewan in 1984. At the time of his appointment, Justice Robertson had a private practice in municipal law and as an arbitrator. He also served as an Inquest Coroner and Chair of the Saskatchewan Police Commission. He previously practised with Robb & Dowling and as counsel to the Regina Police Service and City of Regina, appearing before all levels of courts. He received the Queen’s Counsel designation in 2003 and the Fellows designation from the International Municipal Law Association in 2005. Justice Robertson has been active throughout his career with professional associations, including as a past president of the Saskatchewan Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, and with community groups. His community service was recognized by the award of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal in 2016. Justice Robertson has been married for 32 years to Madeleine Robertson, Q.C. with whom he has a son and daughter.

Jeff has focused for a number of years on serving as an Arbitrator and Mediator of international and domestic disputes. He brings to these roles his many years of understanding and experience with all nature of business matters and disputes, his common sense and practical perspective and recognized judgment, and an ability to focus on the real issues at the heart of a matter. He is familiar with the leading arbitral rules and regimes, as well as ad hoc proceedings. His energetic and pragmatic approach enables him to work with parties to fashion an effective process to achieve timely and efficient resolutions, whether through arbitration or mediation. He is well versed on the conduct of hearings. For many years he served as a Co-Chair of the University of Toronto (Discipline) Tribunal and as independent counsel providing advice to the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He served as legal counsel to the Chiropractic Review Committee of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario, and in 2008 he received their Presidential Award of Excellence for his work. Jeff received his BA (Hons) from the University of Alberta in 1973 (Gold Medalist), his MA from the University of Toronto in 1974, and his LLB from the University of Toronto in 1977. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. He is a former clerk to the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.