An independent body responsible for reviewing complaints against judges has determined that an Ontario judge engaged in judicial misconduct after being accused of “non-consensual” sex and assault. The panel from the Ontario Judicial Council acknowledged the majority of allegations made against Justice Paul Currie from the Ontario Court of Justice in a recently published summary decision.
Justice Currie, who was serving as the regional senior justice for the central west region of the Ontario Court of Justice until August of last year, is currently suspended with pay. The complaint against Currie was lodged by then-chief justice Lise Maisonneuve after he faced criminal charges of assault causing bodily harm and assault in April 2023. The Crown later withdrew these charges in June 2023 citing a lack of reasonable prospects for conviction.
Following a hearing prompted by the complaint, the panel assessed six allegations related to incidents that reportedly occurred in January and April 2023. The panel unanimously determined that five of these allegations were substantiated based on the evidence presented, meeting the threshold for judicial misconduct in each case.
The allegations included claims that Currie engaged in nonconsensual sexual intercourse and physical assault against an individual known as A.A. on two separate occasions in January and April 2023. The panel found the victim’s account to be consistent and corroborated by other evidence, while highlighting inconsistencies in Currie’s statements.
Additionally, the panel concluded that Currie’s actions of contacting the complainant to dissuade cooperation with the investigation and delaying his surrender to police despite an arrest warrant constituted judicial misconduct. Furthermore, it was determined that Currie’s consumption of alcohol while driving also fell under this category.
The panel’s proceedings will resume on February 4 to deliberate on the appropriate penalty for Justice Currie. Prior to his role as regional senior justice, Currie had a long-standing career in the legal field, having served as a judge in Brampton since 2004 after being called to the bar in 1984.
