The Ontario Class Action Bench-Bar Liaison Committee is calling for nominations for up to six members of the bar to join the Committee for a two year term, beginning January 2023.
The Committee is a bench-bar committee composed of judges from most judicial regions of the Province, and up to 12 bar members. The purpose of the Committee is to develop practice initiatives to improve the conduct of class proceedings, and to facilitate communication between the class action bench and bar. The practice initiatives pursued by the Committee may contribute to the development of practice directions or inform future legal reform projects.
The Committee is currently working on projects dealing with: Best Practices Guide, Protocol for Unrepresented Class Members to Participate in Settlement/Fee Approval Motions, Consideration of the Role of Amicus in Settlement/Fee Approval Motions, Consideration of Notice Plans, Checklist for Starting Class Actions under the new CPA, and Best Practices to Streamline Filing for Multi-jurisdictional Class Actions.
Any member of the bar in Ontario is eligible to self-nominate or to be nominated. Appointments to the Committee are made by the Committee, after consultation with the OBA and The Advocates' Society, and are subject to approval by the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice or his or her designate. The Committee aims to ensure, to the extent reasonably possible, that it is representative of both plaintiff and defence perspectives, regionally representative, gender representative, representative of equity seeking groups, and representative of both the public and private sectors. Membership in the OBA or The Advocates' Society is not a requirement for membership on the Committee.
Appointments of up to six bar members will be made in November 2022. Any interested candidate should send an email to the Committee's Chair, Mirilyn Sharp at msharp@sharplegal.ca by no later than Friday October 28, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The e-mail should include information about the applicant that is relevant to the work of the Committee, and a brief explanation of the applicant’s interest in the Committee. The Committee encourages applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities, and applicants may elect whether to disclose any relevant information in this regard.
The names of all nominees will be shared with the OBA Class Actions Section Executive and TAS' Class Action Practice Group, and may be shared with such other bar associations or other bodies as the Committee may decide or the Chief Justice or his or her designate may direct, for their feedback and recommendations.
Thank you.