An independent body that examines complaints against judges has determined that an Ontario judge, accused of engaging in judicial misconduct involving “non-consensual” sex and assault, has been found guilty. The Ontario Judicial Council panel released a summary decision online, accepting most of the allegations in a complaint against Justice Paul Currie of the Ontario Court of Justice.
Justice Currie, who is currently on suspension with pay, previously held the position of regional senior justice for the central west region of the Ontario Court of Justice until August of last year. The complaint against Currie was lodged by former chief justice Lise Maisonneuve of the Ontario Court of Justice following criminal charges brought against Currie in April 2023. The charges, including one count of assault causing bodily harm, were dropped in June 2023 due to insufficient evidence for conviction.
The panel, after conducting a hearing and examining six allegations related to incidents in January and April 2023, found that five of the allegations were substantiated. These allegations included claims of nonconsensual sexual intercourse and physical assault causing bodily injury by Currie towards the victim identified as A.A. The panel noted that the victim’s account of the incidents was consistent and corroborated by other evidence, while Currie’s testimony was deemed inconsistent and contradicted by contemporaneous evidence.
Additionally, the panel concluded that Currie engaged in judicial misconduct by contacting the victim in an attempt to dissuade her from cooperating with the investigation and by delaying his surrender to the authorities despite being aware of an arrest warrant. The panel also determined that Currie’s habit of consuming alcohol while driving constituted further judicial misconduct, based on evidence provided by the victim.
The panel heard testimony from various parties involved in the case, including the victim, police officers, a former Crown attorney, and Currie himself. The panel has scheduled a continuation of the hearing on February 4 to deliberate on the appropriate penalty for Currie’s actions.
Prior to these events, Currie had been appointed as regional senior justice for the central west region in 2019, following years of service as a judge in Brampton since 2004. His legal career began when he was called to the bar in 1984.