Filipino-Canadian Judge Appointed to Ontario Court of Appeal

Justice Steve A. Coroza (photo courtesy of Osgoode Hall Law School of York University website)

TORONTO 20 April 2020 — Filipino-Canadian Justice Steve A. Coroza is appointed as Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He is one of the four appointments announced on 06 April 2020 by the Department of Justice of Canada.

Justice Steve Coroza is the first and only Filipino-Canadian judge appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice. This singular achievement brings honor and pride not only to his family but also to the larger Filipino-Canadian community.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto joined the Filipino Canadian Community in conveying warm congratulations to Justice Coroza and his family on his appointment. 

Justice Coroza replaced Madam Justice K. Feldman, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective 01 January 2020.

Justice Steve A. Coroza was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice (St. Catharines) in 2009 and to the Superior Court of Justice (Brampton) in 2013.  He received an LL.B. from the University of Windsor and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1997.  He also received an LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2003.

Justice Coroza was a staff duty counsel for Ontario Legal Aid in Toronto from 1997 to 1998.  From 1998 to 2009, he was senior counsel with the Department of Justice and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, where his main area of practice was criminal law. Justice Coroza was a member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. He was a past adjunct instructor of the Trial Advocacy Course at Osgoode Hall Law School and a guest instructor with the University of Notre Dame Law School.  He has been participating frequently as a panelist in continuing education programs for lawyers and judges. He co-authored a publication entitled “Sentencing Drug Offenders.”

Justice Coroza grew up in a typical Filipino household where his parents instilled the value of education. “The mandatory requirement living in my home was that you had to go to University and obtain a degree. There was no option. Education is an important thing and my parents wanted to ensure that all we had to do was to do well in school. Sports and other activities were secondary. Education was important,” said Justice Coroza in an interview with Riza Khamal in April 2019.[1]

Despite his high position in government and busy schedule, Justice Coroza has been an active participant in Filipino community and Consulate General’s sponsored activities, thus maintaining link to his Filipino roots. Through his involvement in mentoring programs, he continues to inspire young Filipino-Canadians to pursue leadership positions in their respective fields and eventually to the mainstream community.

Justice Coroza and his spouse, Mary, a nurse practitioner, have three children. END

For more information, visit https://www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto/.

[1] http://www.rizakhamal.com/judge-coroza-education-is-mandatory-in-our-home/