Influential Members of Canada’s Black Communities Launch Campaign to Back Embattled Ontario Judge

OTTAWA, NOVEMBER 8, 2018—A pan-Canadian coalition of concerned Canadians of African descent has launched a national campaign supporting the dismissal of all accusations  made against Ontario Court Judge Donald McLeod.

Appointed to the Ontario Court in 2013, Justice McLeod was the founder of the newly minted Federation of Black Canadians (FBC), where he acted as interim Chair of its Steering Committee, until June 2018. The Justice’s presence at the Federation caught the ire of the Ontario Judicial Council, where he is being investigated for failing “to uphold the integrity, impartiality and independence of the judiciary when he communicated with and met with politicians on behalf of FBC, inappropriately used the power and prestige of his judicial office to advance the interests of the FBC and lent the prestige of the judicial office to FBC fundraising.”

A week long disciplinary hearing is set for November 30, 2018, where a four-person committee will determine whether to sanction or discipline Justice McLeod.

“This course of action fits into a long-established pattern of undermining and even dismantling Black leadership in Canada,” said Ewart Walters, Co-Founder of the national Black Agenda Noir coalition. “Using the pretext of impartiality and non-partisanship, the Canadian judicial system is attempting to silence one of the few justices with an intimate knowledge of how racism can affect the administration of justice. Further, it is unconscionable that these actions are being pursued the year that Canada and Ontario officially recognized the International Decade for People of African Descent. The accusations do not stand. The proceedings must stop immediately.”

“Justice McLeod has an impeccable record of tackling racism in the judicial system and defending and supporting some of the most vulnerable segments of our society,” said said Abdirizak Karod, Co-Founder of the national Black Agenda Noir coalition. “His work at the Federation of Black Canadians was nonpartisan, transformative and helped to gather people of African descent from across the country, in a way that we had not seen for two decades. The fact that he had the audacity to bring attention to inequities faced by Black Canadians at the highest level of our society, whether among different political parties or other areas, by no means undermines the administration of justice. Justice McLeod deserves the support of all Canadians.”

Black Agenda Noir is inviting concerned Canadians to sign an online petition to support Justice McLeod. In addition, the coalition is inviting members of the community to rally in person at the November 30 judicial hearing to voice their support for the embattled judge.

Black Agenda Noir 

Justiceforjusticemcleod@gmail.com

613.407.8740