Leitch, David
[Français]
I am a graduate of the University of Toronto Law School and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1978. In the next 20 years, I worked for the Ombudsman’s Office, the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic, the Workers’ Compensation Board, the Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic and the Workplace Health and Safety Agency. In all of these positions, I used my French and promoted respect for the linguistic rights of francophones. Since 1997, I have held the following bilingual positions: Deputy Judge of the Toronto Small Claims Court, Arbitrator at the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, Referee in the Hepatitis C Class Action claims, member of the Law Society’s Hearing Panel and Adjudicator in the Indian Residential School Independent Evaluation Process. In these positions, I have conducted mediations and written decisions in both English and French.
I completed an LLM in constitutional law in the year 2000 at Osgoode Hall Law School. My major paper was about section 23 of the Charter and I have subsequently published other articles and frequently spoken about language rights in Canada. I have been an active member of both l’AJEFO (l’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario) since its founding in 1980 and the Official Languages Committee of the Ontario Bar Association, serving as its Chair for several years.
Since 2010, I have practised exclusively in the area of aboriginal law.
I have two sons, both educated in French-language primary and secondary public schools in Toronto. I am married to a Québécoise. French is the language spoken at home.
See: Canada's Native Languages: The Right of First Nations to Educate Their Children in Their Own Languages
David Leitch
Toronto
(ON)
Email : DavidGLeitch@sympatico.ca
Categories : Justice
Last Update : 2017-03-02
