New Regional Senior Justice of the Peace Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice

Table of Contents

1. Content
2. Additional Resources
3. Media Contacts

The Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario is pleased to announce the appointment of a new regional senior justice of the peace to the Ontario Court of Justice.

Justice of the Peace Jill Ellen Morris has been appointed regional senior justice of the peace to the Northeast Region, effective April 2, 2026.

In 2010, Justice of the Peace Morris was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice, presiding in Sault Ste. Marie. She has been the local administrative justice of the peace since 2023. Justice of the Peace Morris has been a mentor to newly appointed colleagues since 2021, offering support and guidance as well as presenting at various mentorship conferences. She has been a member of several committees addressing accessibility, emergency management, security and stakeholder engagement.

Justice of the Peace Morris holds a Master of Social Work from Grand Valley State University. Prior to her appointment to the Ontario Court of Justice, she worked with the Victim/Witness Assistance Program, providing information, support, referrals and advocacy for victims and witnesses of crime. Justice of the Peace Morris was also a professor at Grand Valley State University from 2010 to 2011, supervising and evaluating students in the postgraduate social work program. She was also a sessional professor at Algoma University, teaching social work and social welfare.

Justice of the Peace Morris was involved with bringing the Neighbours, Friends and Families initiative to her community, which is a group that raises awareness about violence against women. She was also a facilitator for Kanawayhitowin, an Indigenous campaign that was adapted from the Neighbours, Friends and Families initiative to reflect a traditional and cultural approach to community healing and wellness. Justice of the Peace Morris was a social worker for the Victoria Order of Nurses' bereavement program and was a member of the Algoma Council on Domestic Violence for seven years, planning conferences and producing public education materials.

A regional senior justice of the peace advises and assists the associate chief justice/coordinator of justices of the peace and the regional senior judge in all matters pertaining to justices of the peace.

Additional Resources