History

On November 1, 1971, a group of Ontario’s leading criminal defence counsel met in Toronto to establish an organized and respected voice for the criminal defence bar.

The founders of what was then known as the Ontario Criminal Lawyers’ Association were Hugh R. Locke, David G. Humphrey, Gordon Ecclestone, Martin Kerbel, James Austin, William G. Murphy, Frances X. Fay, Clive Bynoe, Ronald Crane, and Clare Lewis. Their leadership and commitment, along with all who joined them, helped build a strong and influential voice for defence counsel in Ontario and across Canada.

---

Please scroll down for more recordings celebrating our first 25 years!

With more than 1,800 Ontario members, along with many observer members across Canada, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association is one of the country’s largest specialty legal organizations.

Past Presidents:

The Hon. Hugh R. Locke (1971-1973)
B. Clive Bynoe, Q.C. (1973-1975)
The Hon. Arthur C. Whealy (1975-1977)
Robert J. Carter, Q.C. (1977-1979)
The Hon. Ronald G. Thomas (1979-1983)
Earl J. Levy, Q.C. (1983-1989)
Brian H. Greenspan (1989-1993)
The Hon. Bruce Durno (1993-1997)
Alan D. Gold (1997-2001)
The Hon. Michelle K. Fuerst (2001-2002)
Ralph B. Steinberg (2002-2005)
The Hon. Louise Botham (2005-2007)
Frank Addario (2007-2009)
The Hon. Paul Burstein (2009-2011)
The Hon. Norman D. Boxall (2011-2013)
Anthony Moustacalis (2013-2017)
Michael Lacy (2017-2019)
John Struthers (2019-2022)
Daniel Brown (2022-2023)
Boris Bytensky (2023-2025)