Law360 Canada (May 11, 2026, 5:09 PM EDT) -- Ontario’s Justice Centres are being recognized with the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) President’s Award for their innovative community court model.
The OBA called it one of the most promising initiatives transforming the criminal justice system in the province, as it brings together courts, community and social supports from all sectors to address the root causes of crime, reduce repeat involvement in the justice system and strengthen public safety.
“The work happening at all four Ontario Justice Centres reflects that safety, stability, and fairness are all interconnected,” said OBA president Katy Commisso.
Chief Frank Kavanaugh receives the OBA President’s Award from OBA president Katy Commisso on behalf of the Kenora Justice Centre.
“Legal issues are increasingly tied to complex social challenges, such as mental health, addiction or housing instability, that the traditional court system was never designed to solve on its own,” she added.
“Ontario’s Justice Centres are taking the kind of creative, integrated, and equitable approach to modernizing our justice system that align with and meet the realities of the people living in our communities.”
The court model was developed by the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ontario Court of Justice in partnership with communities, with financial support from the Department of Justice.
Community members, Ontario Court of Justice representatives and Grand Council Treaty #3 elders and leaders gathered with OBA president Katy Commisso and Grand Chief Frank Kavanaugh in Kenora to celebrate the presentation of the OBA President’s Award to Ontario’s four Justice Centres.
The award recognizes the significant contribution of an individual or organization that has made an impact on the advancement of justice in the view of the OBA president.
On May 13, Commisso will visit the Toronto Downtown East Justice Centre and the OCJ-T Youth Justice Centre for presentation of the award and will visit the London Justice Centre on June 8.
Also on May 13, partners across courts and government involved with the administration of the centres will be recognized at the OBA’s annual Awards Gala taking place during the evening.
Commisso was in Kenora and Treaty #3 Territory on April 28 to make a special presentation of the award to the Indigenous leadership, elders and traditional knowledge advisers, the Ontario Court of Justice, and team behind the Ga naan a ga da waa ba dang Justice Centre.
“Justice Centres are transforming how justice is delivered across Ontario,” said Attorney General Doug Downey. “We are honoured to stand with our community partners to receive the prestigious Ontario Bar Association’s President’s Award in recognition of this innovative community court model.”
“Justice Centres play a key role in breaking the cycle of offending by connecting more at-risk individuals with critical supports, including addiction services, mental health counselling, education and life skills training.”
Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas of the Ontario Court said she was grateful to the OBA for the presentation of the award and its recognition of the change that justice centres are making.
“Justice Centres are more than just places. They are groundbreaking approaches to how justice is achieved, particularly for overrepresented groups, Indigenous and racialized individuals, and those facing mental health or addiction challenges,” she said.
“We are thankful for this award and for the commitment from the Ministry of the Attorney General and all our justice partners as we continue to build an innovative, principled justice system.”
Previous winners of the award include the Honourable Roy McMurtry (2010), the Canadian Cross-Border Legal Coalition (2018) and Kristin Taylor, Carla Potter, Ardy Mohajer and Noble Chummar (2022).
The OBA is also presenting the new Abdalla Barqawi Bridge Builder Award to recognize significant contributions made in the profession or society to reduce polarization.
The inaugural winners are a group of University of Ottawa law students and alumni being celebrated for contributions to fostering respectful discourse following the world events that took place on Oct. 7, 2023.
“In the supporting nominations for the award, both members of the bar and academia acknowledged the wisdom, professionalism and thoughtful judgment that these up-and-coming lawyers demonstrated at a time marked by polarization and heightened emotion,” the OBA said.
“Their actions reflect the highest ideals of the legal profession and the spirit of bridge-building at the heart of the OBA’s new and meaningful award.”
Awards to be handed out at next month’s gala include:
Award for Distinguished Service:
- The Honourable Stephen E. Firestone, Superior Court of Justice
- Mary Jackson, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
- S. George Joseph, Petrone & Partners
Joel Kuchar Award for Professionalism and Civility:
- Marco Falco, Torkin Manes LLP
Linda Adlam Manning Award for Volunteerism:
- Carlo Di Carlo, Stockwoods LLP
Abdalla Barqawi Bridge Builder Award:
- Student Group: Hanaa Ameer-Uddin, Shayna Horvath, Ferdous Hasan and Arjun Gupta
The OBA Awards Gala is celebrated annually for achievements in the legal field. It will take place on Wednesday, May 13 in downtown Toronto at the 20 Toronto Street Conference Centre.
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