Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey announced the appointment of a Newmarket lawyer as one of three new justices to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Oct. 9.
Justice Valerie Leigh Brown has been in private practice in Newmarket since 2002, with a focus on family and child protection law, according to an Ontario government news release.
Justice Brown has been a panel lawyer with the Office of the Children's Lawyer since 2009 and has been a dispute resolution officer in both Newmarket and Barrie since 2015.
Justice Brown is trained in conflict resolution, mediation and collaborative practice and is the current Family Law Chair for the Federation of Ontario Law Associations.
Justice Brown volunteers as a youth mentor with the Girl Guides of Canada as Brownie Unit Guider and has received the Bronze Merit Award.
Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Brown to Owen Sound.
Justice Mark Moorcroft, an assistant Crown attorney in Oshawa, has been assigned to Lindsay, and Justice Scott Gregory Pratt, an assistant Crown attorney, has been assigned to Windsor.
