New Judges Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice

October 6, 2022

October 03, 2022

Attorney General Doug Downey announced the appointment of three judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective October 13, 2022.

Justice Sarah Tarcza was called to the bar in 2005. Since that time, she has been an assistant Crown attorney in Barrie and in 2019 she became the deputy Crown attorney in Barrie. Justice Tarcza worked collaboratively with other justice partners to develop and improve processes to transition the Ontario Court of Justice to a virtual platform in Simcoe County. She also continued to work on initiatives to manage criminal case backlogs that occurred during the pandemic. In 2014, she was part of a team that received the Rupert Ross Award for Social Justice from the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association for her part in helping start a mental health court in Barrie.

Justice Tarcza was one of the founders of the Barrie chapter of Lawyers Feed the Hungry. Since 2007, she has been a lawyer coach for the Simcoe Muskoka High School Mock Trial team. She has also been an assistant coach and team manager for youth sports associations in the Barrie area.

Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Tarcza to Barrie.

Justice Christopher Uwagboe was called to the bar in 2007. Justice Uwagboe’s career started in the Middlesex Crown Attorney’s office in London. In 2011, he opened a private practice representing clients in criminal defense, real estate, small claims, and immigration cases. During his time in private practice, he also was a per diem prosecutor for the Crown Attorney’s office and the Ministry of Transportation in London. He was appointed to the Legal Aid Ontario Board of Directors in April 2021 and served as the Chair of the Operations Committee.

Justice Uwagboe is passionate about career development, networking, and mentorship. He has spoken on panels and provided guidance to paralegal candidates from triOS and Fanshawe Colleges, law students and Black students at Western University, and professionals at the Ontario Association of Black Paralegals. As a law student, Justice Uwagboe was President of the National Executive of the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada.

Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Uwagboe to Windsor.

Justice Raymond Williams was called to the bar in 2002. Since that time, he has been an assistant Crown attorney and has worked in Crown Attorney’s offices in Simcoe County, Kitchener, and Hamilton. He has prosecuted murder trials, dangerous offender and long-term offender hearings, and coroner’s inquests. In addition, he served as assistant Crown attorney in all satellite courts throughout Simcoe County. Justice Williams has been designated a Crown agent for Part VI projects and been involved in numerous complex investigations. He has been the recipient of awards from the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Justice Williams assists with youth hockey, baseball, and soccer teams for his four children. He has been an assistant coach for lacrosse teams in the Barrie area. From 2006 to 2019, he was involved with the Simcoe County Mock Trial Program. He has also been involved with a variety of police educational programs.

Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Williams to Barrie.