The Hon. Ayres Couto

Justice Ayres Victor Couto, born in Bombay in 1930 to a Goan Catholic family, followed his father’s legal career path, practicing criminal law in India before immigrating to Canada in 1963. After overcoming significant racial discrimination in finding articling positions, he was hired by Thompson, Tooze & McLean, where he specialized in insurance defense work. He subsequently established a successful civil litigation and real estate practice in partnership with German and Canadian colleagues.

In 1984, Couto was appointed to the Provincial Court (Criminal Division) by Attorney General Roy McMurtry, becoming the first Indian-Canadian judge in Ontario and later the first Indian-Canadian Queen’s Counsel. He served primarily at Old City Hall and later at the Etobicoke courthouse, handling criminal matters ranging from impaired driving to murder preliminaries. His judicial career was marked by a compassionate approach to sentencing, particularly for first-time offenders and immigrants, while maintaining firm stances on violent crimes.

Couto’s account provides valuable insights into the evolution of the Canadian legal system, particularly regarding the integration of visible minorities into the judiciary and the impact of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on criminal proceedings. His experiences highlight both the challenges faced by immigrant lawyers and the gradual progress toward a more diverse and inclusive legal profession in Ontario.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.