Justice Czutrin no longer hearing Applications for Declaration of Parentage in Ontario

While Anatoly was at court this week bringing an application for a declaration of parentage on behalf of an intended parent, we were surprised to discover that the Honourable Justice Czutrin is no longer hearing applications for declarations of parentage in surrogacy and known donor situations.  In December 2013, Justice Czutrin was appointed as Senior Family Judge of the Family Court (read about the recent appointments here).  

While we congratulate Justice Czutrin on his appointment and look forward to appearing before the other judges who hear these matters, we must admit how much we will miss appearing before Justice Czutrin.  In the specialized, controversial and emotionally charged world of legal parentage of children born through assisted reproductive technologies, appearing before the Honourable Justice Czutrin was a true pleasure.  He managed to strike a balance between being forward thinking, realistic and pragmatic, while always, always considering the child at issue. 

Applications for declarations of parentage in Ontario are almost always sealed.  For this reason (and others), we have very little accessible caselaw.  All the more so that Justice Czutrin's specialized knowledge and experience, as well as his viewpoint, will be sorely missed.