The Hon. John Van Duzer

This comprehensive oral history interview covers Justice John Van Duzer’s distinguished career in Canadian family law from 1967 to 2002. Born in 1927 to a Methodist farming family in the Niagara Peninsula, Van Duzer studied at McMaster University and Osgoode Hall Law School before articling at Fraser & Beatty and practicing law in Hamilton. His judicial career began in 1963 as a per diem family court judge, becoming full-time in 1967.

Van Duzer was instrumental in developing modern family court systems in Canada. He became one of three founding judges of Hamilton’s Unified Family Court in 1977, the first of its kind in the British Commonwealth, which consolidated all family-related matters under one roof with enhanced social services. The court served as a pilot project that influenced family court development across Canada. Van Duzer was deeply involved in judicial education and reform, serving as President of the Ontario Association of Family Court Judges and becoming the first Canadian President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts in 1983.

Throughout his career, Van Duzer advocated for mediation and settlement conferences as alternatives to adversarial proceedings. He was particularly passionate about juvenile justice and child welfare, founding several community organizations including group homes and youth counseling services. His career spanned significant changes in Canadian family law, from the Juvenile Delinquents Act era through the development of modern unified family courts. He went supernumerary in 1992 and retired fully in 2002, leaving a legacy as a pioneer in family law reform and judicial innovation.

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