The Hon. Monte Harris

This oral history interview with Mr. Justice Monte Harris from February 24, 2006, covers his remarkable journey from modest beginnings in Toronto to a distinguished 21-year career on the Ontario Court of Justice. Born in 1931 to Romanian immigrant parents, Harris initially pursued physical education at the University of Toronto before switching to law, graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1960. His early legal career included articling at Phillips & Phillips and Haffey & Sherwood, where he excelled in negligence defense work and Small Claims Court practice, before forming a partnership with Sam Darragh and working on significant cases with Arthur Maloney, including the capital murder case R. v. McCorkell.

Harris was appointed to the Provincial Court (later Ontario Court of Justice) in 1985, serving under Chief Justices Fred Hayes, Sid Linden, and Brian Lennox. Throughout his judicial career, he witnessed significant changes in the court system, including the 1990 Courts of Justice Act reforms, evolving criminal procedures, Charter applications, and the introduction of conditional sentences. His extensive community involvement included work with the John Howard Society, Salvation Army, and various correctional advisory councils, while also teaching in the Bar Admission Course and serving as a part-time Crown Attorney prosecuting police officers. Harris’s interview provides valuable insights into the evolution of Ontario’s criminal justice system over several decades.

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