The Rule of Law & Combatting Systemic Discrimination: Judicial Proceedings

April 29th, 2021 from 1:00 to 3:00pm ET

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Speaker Biographies

David Antonyshyn, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions

In November 2018, David Antonyshyn became one of the two Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC), which is responsible to prosecute cases under federal jurisdiction across Canada and to provide legal advice and assistance to law enforcement.

He previously served for 28 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, the last 20 of which in a number of positions within the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG), the legal adviser to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence in matters of military law. Prior to retiring from the Forces with the rank of colonel, he was the Deputy JAG leading the legal division assisting the JAG in superintending the administration of military justice in Canada and ensuring its responsible development within the broader Canadian justice system. Over the years, his practice has included administrative law, criminal law (both as defence counsel and prosecutor), and operational law (Canadian and international law governing the conduct of military operations, in Canada or abroad). He notably served on deployed missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Lebanon, and participated on a number of Canadian delegations during international negotiations along with Global Affairs Canada.

David holds a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, where he focused on issues of international human rights law, the law of armed conflict/international humanitarian law, and international criminal law. A 1995 graduate from the Université de Montréal Law School, he was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1996 after having articled as a prosecutor in criminal and penal law.

He has been a frequent speaker and instructor to a number of courses in Canada and abroad, including at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Université Laval summer school, University of Ottawa, the Royal Military School of Belgium, and with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss armed forces.

Judge Gerald Morin, Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judge, Northwest Territories and Yukon Territorial Court Judge

The Honourable Judge Gerald Morin was born and raised in Cumberland House, SK and is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. He attended Charlebois School up to grade 10, and because there was no high school at home, he left and completed his high school at the L.P. Miller High School in Nipawin, SK, in 1971. Morin attained his Certificate in Social Work from the University of Regina in 1978. He has worked as a probation officer in Northern Saskatchewan, and a professor at the University of Manitoba, where he taught Community Development. In 1987, he returned to the University of Saskatchewan for his Law Degree. He has practiced law in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan at the Pandila-Morin Law Office, and appeared in all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada. Judge Morin received a Queen’s Counsel designation in 1999—the first Indigenous person to receive a Q.C. designation in the history of Saskatchewan. Judge Morin was appointed to the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan on January 24, 2001, and retired in 2019.

Kathleen Roussel, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Deputy Attorney General of Canada Public Prosecution Service of Canada

Kathleen Roussel was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions on June 21, 2017, after serving as Deputy Director of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada from April 2013. Previously, Kathleen had been serving as Senior General Counsel and Executive Director of the Environment Legal Services Unit at the Department of Justice (Canada), a position she held since 2008. From 2001 to 2005, she was the Senior Counsel and Director of the Canadian Firearms Centre Legal Services.

Before joining the public service, Ms. Roussel worked as a criminal defence lawyer. She has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario since 1994 and graduated from the University of Ottawa Law School in 1992, having previously obtained an Honours Religion degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Mr. Rob Dhanu, co-founding partner, Dhanu Dhaliwal Law Group

Rob Dhanu is a former Crown prosecutor for the Department of Justice where he primarily dealt with drug, firearm and organized crime matters as well as being involved in the Yukon flying squad. He left the Department of Justice to commence a solo defence practice which evolved into the establishment of Dhanu Dhaliwal Law Group. Rob has practiced at all levels of court in British Columbia as well as Alberta and Yukon. Rob is actively involved in criminal justice issues in the South Asian community and has taught and presented to members of the bar, RCMP, Justice Institute and Canadian Senate.