Committees
Below is a complete listing of CLA Committees and volunteers in alphabetical order.
ACCESSIBILITY
To promote access to public spaces and technology important for the provision of legal services. To address the issues and concerns of members of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA) who have one or more disabilities. To promote diversity in the CLA and the leadership of the CLA. To foster and promote opportunities for people with disabilities in criminal law.
CLIENT ACCESSIBILITY
In order to advance our client’s case we need access to our clients, in particular those clients who have been remanded into custody. Accessing clients in certain facilities may not always be easy, for a number of different reasons. The Accessibility Committee is interested in hearing your concerns when it comes to accessing your clients in custody whether it be at the remand facility, courthouse, virtual courtroom etc. Please voice your concerns by emailing accessibility@criminallawyers.ca. We have a volunteer team ready to assist!
Committee members:
- Anthony J. Orazietti (Sault Ste. Marie) – Co-Chair
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga) – Co-Chair
- Ed Ducharme (Toronto)
- Benjamin Fulton (Mississauga)
- Ingrid Grant (Toronto)
- Miranda Hlady (Lethbridge)
- David Robinson (Toronto)
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto)
2023-2025: COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA RELATIONS – media@criminallawyers.ca
To coordinate CLA communications activities and implement communication strategies to support our objectives.
Committee members:
- Michelle Johal (Brampton) – Co-Chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Lindsay Board (Toronto)
- Daniel Brown (Toronto)
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto)
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto)
- Sam Puchala (London)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Danielle Robitaille (Toronto)
- Paul Socka (Toronto)
2022-2023: CRIMINAL LAW AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
To develop positions on behalf of the CLA in relation to the significant impact of emerging technologies on criminal law, Charter rights and civil liberties; to advocate for our position on these issues in court and other public forums in coordination with the litigation committee; to consult with government and law reform bodies in relation to these issues; to educate and support our members in relation to these issues as they arise in cases and in terms of their use of emerging technologies in the practice of law.
Committee members:
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto) – co-chair
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto) – co-chair
- David Anber (Ottawa)
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto)
- Gerald Chan (Toronto)
- James Foy (Toronto)
- Benjamin Goldman (Toronto)
- Jaime Mor (Barrie)
2023-2025: CRIMINAL PRACTICE
Responsible for Courthouse Reps as well as to coordinate all aspects of court administration affecting the CLA membership.
Committee members:
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto) – co-chair
- Chris Sewrattan (Toronto) – co-chair
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto)
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Lysandra Moreno (Toronto)
- Emma Rhodes (Toronto)
- Alan Richter (Oshawa)
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto)
2023-2025: DIVERSITY – diversity@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Chris Sewrattan (Toronto) – co-chair
- Tonya Kent (Toronto) – co-chair
- Elizabeth G. Bristow (Toronto)
- Benjamin Elzingacheng (Toronto)
- Chetanaya Gupta (Aurora)
- Taufiq Hashmani (Toronto)
- Kenneth Jim (Toronto)
- Michelle Johal (Brampton)
- Lambert Kwok (Toronto)
- Thilo N. Menzel (Toronto)
- Shailaja Nadarajah (Toronto)
- Rubaina Singh (Toronto)
- Kamran Sajid (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
2023-2025: EDUCATION
Oversee all CLA related CLE programming and CLA mentor activities.
Committee members:
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto) – co-chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – co-chair
- George Joseph (Thunder Bay)
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton)
2023-2025: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND PRIVACY
To develop positions on behalf of the CLA in relation to the significant impact of emerging technologies on criminal law, Charter rights and civil liberties; to advocate for our position on these issues in court and other public forums in coordination with the litigation committee; to consult with government and law reform bodies in relation to these issues; to educate and support our members in relation to these issues as they arise in cases and in terms of their use of emerging technologies in the practice of law.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – co-chair
- Gerald Chan (Toronto) – co-chair
- James Foy (Toronto)
- Lynda Morgan (Toronto)
2023-2025: ETHICS – ethics@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor) – Co-Chair
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Robert Barr (Brockville)
- Michael Davies (Ottawa)
- George Joseph (Thunder Bay)
2023-2025: FALL CONFERENCE – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-fall-conferences/
Responsible for planning all aspects of the fall program including setting the agenda and securing the program speakers.
Committee members:
- Michelle Johal (Toronto) – co-chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – co-chair
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
- Matthew Gourlay (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Brampton)
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton)
2023-2025: GALE MOOT CUP – Galecup@criminallawyers.ca
https://www.galecupmoot.com/en/home/
CLA Committee members:
- Daniel Brown (Toronto) – co-chair
- Sweta Tejpal (Brampton) – co-chair
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto) – co-chair
- Emily Dyer (Barrie)
- Laura Metcalfe (Toronto)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Jessica Proskos (Toronto)
- Maya Shukairy (Ottawa)
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton)
2023-2025: GOVERNANCE
Committee members:
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto) – Chair
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto)
- One Women’s Committee co-chair – TBC
- One Diversity Committee co-chair – TBC
- One Indigenous Committee co-chair – TBC
2023-2025: INDIGENOUS – indigenous@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Shaunna Kelly (Toronto) – co-chair
- Ryan Stiles (Bracebridge) – co-chair
- Jessica Belisle (Sault Ste Marie)
- Hilary Dudding (Toronto)
- Derek Fox (Thunder Bay)
- Keith Gordon (Akwesasne Mohawk Territory)
- Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
- Jason Herbert (Bracebridge)
- Riali Johannesson (Parry Sound)
- Lyandra Moreno (Toronto)
- Arianna Murdoch-Fyke (Goderich)
- Rubaina Singh (Toronto)
2023-2025: Le Comité de la langue française
The mandate of the committee is to address the issues in relation to the French language in Ontario and to facilitate access to the French language throughout Ontario. The committee will also work on facilitating interprovincial work between the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
Committee members:
- Sam Puchala (London) – Chair
- Maija Martin (Toronto)
2023-2025: LEGAL AID – legalaid@criminallawyers.ca
To address all legal aid related issues affecting the criminal defence bar.
Committee members:
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto) – co-chair
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto) – co-chair
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor)
- Michael Davies (Ottawa)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Christopher Raimondo (St. Catharines)
- Emma Rhodes (Toronto)
- Alan Richter (Oshawa)
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto)
2023-2025: LEGISLATION – reform@criminallawyers.ca
The Legislation Committee members regularly attend at House of Commons and Senate committees to provide input on criminal legislation. Members are consulted by lawmakers on draft legislation and the Legislation Committee is working on producing position papers in various priority areas of criminal justice policy.
Committee members:
- Michael Davies (Ottawa) – Chair
- Boris Bytensky (Toronto)
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Michelle Johal (Brampton)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
- Breanna Vandebeek (Toronto)
2023-2025: LITIGATION (intervention) – litigation@criminallawyers.ca
To manage all litigation focused activities on behalf of the organizations and the membership as approved by the board.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – co-chair
- Mark Halfyard (Toronto) – co-chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – co-chair
- Dan Brown (Toronto)
- Boris Bytenky (Toronto)
- Erin Dann (Toronto)
- Matt Gourlay (Toronto)
- Nader Hasan (Toronto)
- Anil Kapoor (Toronto)
- Michael Lacy (Toronto)
- Maija Martin (Toronto)
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto)
- Chris Sewrattan (Toronto)
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto)
Second Chair Roster:
- Brandon Chung (Toronto)
- Brendan Coffey (Toronto)
- Nikolas De Stefano (Toronto)
- Kathryn Doyle (Toronto)
- Rick Frank (Toronto)
- Heather Gunter (Toronto)
- David Hakim (Toronto)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Kally Ho (Toronto)
- Heather Lawson (Toronto)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
- Anna Zhang (Toronto)
2023-2025: MEMBERSHIP – membercommitttee@criminallawyers.ca
Manage all aspects of membership recruitment, retention and recognition.
Committee members:
- Michael Davies (Ottawa) – co-chair
- Maija Martin (Toronto) – co-chair
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
- Sherry Abotossaway (Thunder Bay)
- Royland Moriah (Toronto)
- Stephen Proudlove (Kitchener)
- Harpreet Saini (Brampton)
- Glenn Sandberg (Sudbury)
2023-2025: MENTAL HEALTH – md@criminallawyers.ca
To coordinate all aspects specific to mental health issues in the Criminal Justice System.
Committee members:
- Cassandra DeMelo (London) – co-chair
- Robert Barr (Brockville) – co-chair
- Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto)
2023-2025: MENTORING
Committee members:
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto) – co-chair
- Christopher Raimondo (St. Catharines) – co-chair
- Brendan Neil (Milton)
- Chris Sewrattan (Toronto)
- Andrew Guaglio (Toronto)
- Adam Newman (Toronto)
- Robert Tomovski (Markham)
2023-2025: PRISONS/JAILS
To coordinate all aspects specific jails/prisons/incarnated persons.
Committee members:
- D. Sid Freeman (Toronto) – co-chair
- Robert Barr (Brockville) – co-chair
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga) – co-chair
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Maija Martin (Toronto)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
2023-2025: PROFESSIONAL REGULATION – proreg@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto) – co-chair
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor) – co-chair
- Mark Halfyard (Toronto)
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
2023-2025: RECENT CALL – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-legal-programs/
To coordinate all aspects specific to recent calls.
Committee members:
- Dawn Dickinson (Ottawa) – co-chair
- Sara Little (Toronto) – co-chair
- Ava Armand – (Toronto)
- Josephine Baldassi – (Toronto)
- Brandon Anand Chung – (Toronto)
- Alicia Cooke – (Toronto)
- Shreeya Devnani – (Toronto)
- David Hakim – (Toronto)
- Aditi Iyer – (Toronto)
- Amy Murchison – (Ottawa)
- Robert Nanni – (Toronto)
- Jessica Proskos – (Toronto)
- Jacob Roth – (Toronto)
- Liam Thompson – (Toronto)
- Eric Tweel – (Toronto)
2023-2025: SPRING CONFERENCE – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-spring-conferences/
Responsible for planning all aspects of the Spring program including setting the agenda and securing the program speakers.
Committee members:
- Cassandra DeMelo (London) – co-chair
- George Joseph (Thunder Bay) – co-chair
- Elizabeth Barefoot (Owen Sound)
- Hilary Dudding (Toronto)
- Riali Johannesson (Parry Sound)
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
2023-2025: WOMEN IN CRIMINAL LAW – https://criminallawyers.ca/about-us/cla-womens-committee/ – women@criminallawyers.ca
To promote and protect the interests of the female members of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA). To promote diversity in the CLA and the leadership of the CLA. To foster and promote opportunities for women in criminal law.
Committee members:
- Laura Metcalfe (Toronto) – co-chair
- Sam Puchala (London) – co-chair
- Maya Borooah (Toronto)
- Salematou Camara (Toronto)
- Neha Chugh (Cornwall)
- Danielle D’Alonzo (London)
- Kally Ho (Toronto)
- Melody Izadi (Toronto)
- Sandra Kimberg (Toronto)
- Danielle Landry (Owen Sound)
- Michelle Psutka (Toronto)
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto)