ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 15, 2006 -- The Honourable Vic Toews, Q.C., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Alex Pazaratz, a sole practitioner in Hamilton, is appointed a Judge of the Family Court branch of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario. He replaces Mr. Justice G. Czutrin (Hamilton) who was transferred to Toronto to replace Mr. Justice P.G. Jarvis who has elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice Alex Pazaratz re ceived a Bachelor of Laws in 1977 and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) in 1974 from McMaster University and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1979. He practised first with Hamilton lawyer Dino Tessaro until opening his own firm in November 1979 where he developed his practice expertise in the area of family law. Mr. Justice Pazaratz is certified as a Family Law specialist by the Law Society of Upper Canada and has acted as a Panelist in the Office of the Children's Lawyer. He also has an avid interest in local sports clubs and in transportation issues having been a citizen appointee on the Alternative Transit Technology Study jointly sponsored by the Hamilton Street Railway and the Ontario Ministry of Transport.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref:

Mike Storeshaw
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
613-992-4621