The Hon. Deborah Livingstone

This comprehensive oral history interview with Madam Justice Deborah Livingstone traces her remarkable legal career from her early years in Dresden, Ontario through two decades on the Ontario Court of Justice. Born in Chicago but raised in a small southwestern Ontario town by her mother and grandmother, Livingstone pursued law at the University of Western Ontario, articled with the Attorney General’s office in Toronto under Roy McMurtry, and practiced civil litigation and part-time Crown work before her judicial appointment in 1989.

As one of the first female judges in London, Ontario, Livingstone made significant contributions to the development of therapeutic courts, particularly mental health courts for both adults and youth. Her pioneering work in establishing London’s Mental Health Court in 2007, followed by the Youth Therapeutic Court in 2009, demonstrated innovative approaches to addressing the intersection of mental health issues and criminal justice. She also served as a Deputy Judge in the Yukon Territory from 1994-2009, gaining experience with restorative justice and Indigenous sentencing practices.

Livingstone’s judicial service extended beyond the bench through her involvement in court administration and judicial governance. She served on the Ontario Judicial Council from 2001-2005, participated in creating the Code of Ethics for judges, and worked on the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee. Her interview provides valuable insights into the evolution of the Ontario court system, including regionalization, the merger of criminal and family courts, and technological advances. Notable cases discussed include R. v. Ssenyonga, one of the first HIV transmission prosecutions in Canada, and her extensive work on Project Guardian cases involving child sexual abuse. Her reflections on court security, judicial independence, and the changing nature of criminal practice offer important perspectives on Canadian legal history during a period of significant transformation.

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