The OLIP Interns recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario and MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. On top of being responsible for prosecutions, civil litigation involving the government, and administering Ontario’s court system, the Attorney General also provides legal information and perspectives to the Cabinet.
We were delighted to learn about Attorney General Downey’s fascinating career prior to being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2018. He worked as a court administrator and lawyer specializing in Real Estate law, served as city councillor in Orillia’s municipal government, taught courses at Laurentian University, and chaired the Independent Panel on the Future of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
We spent much of our time talking about the Attorney General’s initiatives to modernize and digitize the court system. Drawing on his experience as an administrator in the courts, Attorney General Downey is leading the development of initiatives that aim to increase access to justice and streamline administrative processes. One of these is changes is expanding the use of virtual hearings.
The interns would like to extend our thanks to Attorney General Downey for taking the time to share his interesting experiences and tell us about the latest developments in Ontario’s court system.
