The Hon. Bonnie Wein

Justice Bonnie June Wein provides a comprehensive account of her groundbreaking legal career spanning prosecution, government legal services, and judicial appointment. Born in London, Ontario in 1951, she graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and became the first woman hired as a Crown Law Officer Criminal in the downtown Toronto office in 1977. Her early career was marked by intensive work on high-profile criminal appeals, including cases before the Supreme Court of Canada within her first year, and significant Charter litigation including Morgentaler and Edwards Books.

Wein’s career trajectory took her through various senior roles including Director of Legal Services at the Ministry of Environment (1988-1992) where she strengthened prosecution services and established training programs for provincial prosecutors. She returned to the Attorney General’s Ministry as Director of Constitutional Law in 1992, handling complex issues including same-sex rights and free trade constitutional challenges. Throughout her career, she witnessed and contributed to the transformation of women’s participation in criminal law, the implementation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the evolution of prosecutorial independence.

Appointed to the bench in 1994, Wein reflects on her role in mentoring other women lawyers and improving legal education within government. Her interview provides valuable insights into the institutional culture of the Attorney General’s Ministry during the Charter era, the challenges of balancing political and legal considerations in constitutional cases, and the evolution of prosecution practices including disclosure obligations and prosecutorial independence.

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