The Hon. Jack Cannon

Justice Cecil John Cannon provides an extensive account of his legal career spanning over five decades. Born in 1925, Cannon followed his father (Ontario’s Chief Director of Education) into public service, though through law rather than education. After military service in WWII, he completed his political science degree at University of Toronto and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1950.

Cannon’s early legal career included articling and junior positions at Fraser & Beatty (1950-1952) and the Arnoldi firm (1952-1959), where he worked extensively on the Northern Ontario Natural Gas pipeline project. He then practiced as a sole practitioner before becoming counsel for East York Township, handling municipal law and prosecutions until his judicial appointment in 1972.

As a Provincial Court Judge from 1972 to 1996, Cannon sat across Ontario, from the Old City Hall in Toronto to remote northern communities. His interview provides detailed insights into the transformation of Ontario’s court system, including the transition from lay magistrates to legally-trained judges, the introduction of plea bargaining and pre-trials, and the impact of the Charter of Rights. He served as Acting Senior Judge for Metro West (1988-1990) and later moved to Metro North. Notable cases included R. v. Rockert and Spring, a gaming house case that reached the Supreme Court of Canada, and mine safety prosecutions. Cannon offers frank observations on judicial training, court administration, sentencing practices, and the evolution of criminal procedure during his era.

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