Judge: Faisal Mirza J. (SCJ)
Justice Faisal Mirza earned B.A. (Hons.) and M.A degrees from the University of Toronto and a LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School. He completed his articles of clerkship at Greenspan, Humphrey, Lavine before being called to the bar in 2002.
Justice Mirza was a trial and appeal defence lawyer for 20 years. He frequently argued criminal and constitutional law cases at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He was an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he co-taught advanced criminal law courses. He was also an Instructor in National Security and the Law at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Criminal Jury Charge Practice and several articles about criminal procedure and sentencing.
Justice Mirza has volunteered with leading organizations to promote equality in the law and legal profession. He is a past president of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association and was co-founder of the Muslim Legal Support Centre. He was a director of The Advocates’ Society, which partnered with the Ontario Court of Appeal to establish the Advocacy Skills Training Series for members of diversity associations. He has often participated in education and mentorship programs with the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and the South Asian Bar Association.
Justice Mirza was a co-founder of the Sentencing and Parole Project, which provided culturally competent reports and education about anti-Black racism for justice system participants. In 2020, he was appointed by the Prime Minister as a Member of the National Security Intelligence Review Agency, which reviewed the lawfulness of all Government of Canada national security and intelligence activities. He was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Criminal Justice Award and the South Asian Bar Association Award for Diversity. He has consistently been recognized by the Best Lawyers in Canada in the areas of criminal defence and appeals.
Defence: Tonya Kent
Tonya Kent is a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto who has practiced exclusively in criminal defence since her call to the bar. She currently runs her own practice and has appeared at both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice across Ontario. She is also a Toronto Director on the Criminal Lawyers Association (CLA) and was a previous board member of the Choice in Health Clinic, located in Toronto.
Crown: Matt Shumka
Matthew Shumka is an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Toronto East (Scarborough) Crown Attorney’s Office. Following his graduation from Queen’s Law in 2013, he completed his articles with the Scarborough Crown Attorney’s Office. During his career with Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General, he has also acted as Counsel to the Director of the Special Investigations Unit and as Counsel to the Toronto Region Summary Conviction Appeals Office. Matthew regularly engages in continuing professional development, inclusive of presenting to police officers, law students, and his colleagues in the Ontario Bar. He is a Co-Director of the Sentencing Course for the Ministry’s ‘Summer School’ Annual Crown Education Conference, a Co-Creator of the New Toronto Courthouse ‘Best Practices’ Series, and is a contributing author to M. Gourlay, B. Jones, et. al. Modern Criminal Evidence. He lives in Toronto with his wife, and two overly indulged Golden Retrievers.
