Resume
THE HON. MARIE CORBETT, Q.C., B.A., D.JURIS.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree, B.A., McGill University, 1963,
English and Philosophy, First Class HonoursJuris Doctor, D.Juris., (LL.B) Faculty of Law,
University of Toronto, 1968Bar Admission Course, Law Society of Upper Canada, 1970
Appointments and Honours
Women of Distinction Special Award, 1993, YWCA, in recognition of national impact for women of law reform activities and judicial decisions
Queen’s Counsel, 1983
Vice-Chair and Member, Pension Commission of Ontario, 1982-86
Chair, Ontario Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee, July 1983-86; First Chair; developed procedures and policies that continued to be used by Committee to ensure that public undertakings are not improperly exempted from environmental assessment
Hearing Officer, Hearing Panel on Industrial Waste Management, appointed by Lieutenant Governor in Council, 1981-83
Honorary Solicitor, The Provincial council of Women of Ontario, 1882-86
Chair, Justice Committee, and member of the first Ontario Status of Women Council, (Chair Laura Sabia), 1973-74; co-organizer of first family property law conference in province with 500 delegates; contributed to major family law reform recognizing the contribution of women in marriage; established woman lawyer resource for women’s groups
Career
Justice, Ontario Court of Justice, (Ontario Superior Court) 1990-99; criminal trials and Divisional Court; murder and wiretap teams, criminal team leader, 1993-95
Judge, District Court of Ontario at Toronto, 1986-90; civil and criminal trials Private practice, Corbett and Barton, Toronto, ON, 1980-86; administrative law, specializing in pension law; drafted pension benefits legislation for Ontario and model pension reform legislation for other jurisdictions throughout Canada.
Counsel for the Teachers’ Superannuation Commission; counsel for Ontario Dietetic Association, assisted dietitians to improve and enhance their professional status
Counsel, Royal Commission on Pensions in Ontario, 1974-77; provided legal advice and research, organized and conducted 14 weeks of public hearings throughout province, co-coordinated research, wrote much of Royal Commission’s ten-volume report which led to major pension reform in Ontario
Member, Ontario Municipal Board, 1974-77; conducted public hearings throughout province and rendered decisions on wide variety of municipal matters including planning, zoning, subdivision, real property assessment, and municipal finance
Private practice; 1972-74; civil litigation at all court levels, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and attendances before administrative tribunals
Lawyer, City of Toronto Legal Department; municipal litigation, labour relations, conducting prosecutions under by-laws and provincial statutes
Articles, 1968-69, to Richard Rohmer, Q.C. Student employment included research with the Ontario Law Reform Commission on motor vehicle accident insurance and evidence studies
Activities
Founder and First President, Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, 1994-97, International Director; prepared and supervised founding policies and documents, represented Chapter at international meetings
Originated and obtained in 1994 the printing of the stamp honouring The Hon. Helen Kinnear, the first federally-appointed woman judge on the 50th anniversary of her appointment; Director of project to preserve her archives and to produce biography of Judge Kinnear
Chair, Judges’ Annuities Subcommittee, Canadian Judges Conference, 190-92; Chair, Judges’ Annuities Committee, Ontario Superior Court Judges’ Association, 1991-95; supervised survey of judges in Canada on pension issues; assisted in submissions to Triennial Commissions; instrumental in providing advice to judiciary and obtaining pension reform for all judges in Canada
Vice-Chair, Canadian Bar Association, Pensions and Benefits Section, 1985-86; instituted first pension lectures for Bar Admission Course
Director, Empire Club of Canada, 1985-86; first woman member
Executive Member, Ontario Regional Council, Canadian Pension Conference, 1982-84
Chair, Board of Directors, Cocolerio Umbrella, Ann Ditchburn’s ballet and film company, 1983-85
Delegate, alternate workshop leader, National Pensions Conference, Ottawa, 1981
Contributor to and participant in film “Family Property Law” produced by Attorney-General of Ontario and distributed widely from 1974-77 to introduce public to family law reform
President, Canadian Environmental Law Association, 1973-74; founding member, second president (first woman president) in its history; chaired committees establishing policies and activities to achieve environmental law reform in Canada; undertook environmental litigation representing the public on a pro bono basis
Executive Secretary, Ontario Legal Aid Task Force, 1974, Chair, Justice Osler; organized public hearings throughout province resulting in report that led to the establishment of legal aid in Ontario
Lecturer, Environmental Law, Humber college of Applied Arts and Technology. 1973; delivered six-month course, five hours weekly; guest lecturer, 1978
Public speaking; extensively in the 70s and 80s on social justice issues: pensions, planning and zoning, environmental law, family law, and sexual abuse. Dedicated to family law reform, pension reform, and environmental reform. Gave child sexual assault course for police officers and others
Publications
Helen Kinnear, chapter in Women in Law: A Bio-bibliographical Sourcebook, Greenwood Press, Westport Ct, 1996, with Doris Corbett
Disclosure of Complainant’s Records in Sexual Assault Trials, (1994), 37 Criminal Law Quarterly 37, with Anne Sonnen
Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985, Annual Institute of Continuing Education, Canadian Bar Association-Ontario, Feb. 1986
Equal Pension Benefits for Men and Women, Canadian Institute for Professional Development, Nov. 1985, with Roger Barton
Pension Benefits Reform Legislation, Law Society of Upper Canada, Oct. 1985
Contributor, Pensions Today and Tomorrow: Background Studies, Ontario Economic Council, 1984
Regulation of Private Pensions, Understanding Pensions, Canadian Bar Association, June 1983
How the Charter Will Affect Benefits, Benefits Canada, Nov.-Dec. 1982
Thinking of Retiring – A Financial Assessment, Legally Speaking, Community Legal Education, Ontario, 1982
The Ontario Municipal Board: Planning and Zoning Cases, 14 Osgoode Hall Law Journal 193, 1976
Expected Changes in Family Law, Law Society Special Lectures, 1975
The Necessity of Procedural Rights in Evaluating Environmental Change, Social Science Council of Canada, Edmonton, 1975
Contributor, Environment on Trial, A Citizen’s Guide to Ontario Environmental Law, Toronto, 1974