The Hon. William Gorewich

This oral history interview covers Justice William Gorewich’s transition from private practice to his appointment as a judge with the Ontario Court of Justice in 1997. After 14-15 years of practice as both Crown and defence counsel, Gorewich applied for a judicial position in 1996, undergoing a rigorous selection process involving essays and three interviews with a 15-member committee. He was appointed by Attorney General Charlie Harnick in September 1997 and sworn in at the Newmarket courthouse, where he would serve as both a trial judge and local administrative judge from 2002-2008.

During his judicial career, Justice Gorewich handled a wide range of cases including significant Charter applications, criminal matters involving sexual offences and drug cases, and appeals from provincial offences. He discusses his sentencing philosophy, describing himself as preferring rehabilitation over incarceration and not being particularly harsh. The interview covers his involvement with professional organizations like the American Judges Association, where he strongly opposed judges speaking to media, his work on Justice of the Peace appointment committees, and his reflections on court administration issues including growing backlogs and security concerns. Despite the personal costs, he expresses deep satisfaction with both his legal and judicial careers, viewing them as privileges and concluding his service with a sense of fulfillment.

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