ONTARIO COURT OF APPEAL JUDGES
The Honourable Justice Roy McMurty
Bias by Justice Roy McMurty in the Ontario Court of Appeal
Judicial Bias at the Court of Appeal
by Justice Roy McMurty
2007
By Peter Karl Roscoe
Apr 2006, Revised Sept 2007
For Justice McMurtry 38 family cases were available, and 37 of them had data on cost penalties. The cases and their outcomes can be found in Appendix A7 A summary of the decisions is as follows
Appellant
Custody
Access
Mobility
Spousal
Support
Child
Support
Equalization
Other
Costs
Number of Males
4
5
2
8
5
7
18
37
Number of Male Wins
0
1
1
2
2
2
7
6
Appellant
Custody
Access
Mobility
Spousal
Support
Child
Support
Equalization
Other
Costs
Number of Females
1
0
1
8
0
4
7
37
Number of Female Wins
0
0
1
4
0
1
4
22
Summarized in percentage terms
Appellant
Custody
Access
Mobility
Spousal
Support
Child
Support
Equalization
Other
Costs
% Chance of Male Win
0.0
20.0
50.0
20.0
40.0
28.5
38.9
16.2
% Chance of Female Win
100.0
NA
100.0
50.0
NA
25.0
57.2
59.5
It can be concluded that on a family issue a woman has a (33/58 x 100) 56.9 % chance of winning, and a man has a (21/86 x 100) 24.4 % % chance of winning when appearing before a panel with Justice McMurtry on it. Success as decided by cost penalties assigned was 16.2 % in favor of men, 59.5 % in favor of females and divided 16.5 % of the time.
Appendix A
Legend
Sex of Lawyer M = Male F = Female Sr = Self Represented
(m) = Hired by the Man (f) = Hired by the woman
Cost Penalty (w) Woman Wins (m) = Man Wins nc = No Costs
res = Reserved for Trial
Sex of Appellant M = Man W = Woman
Grounds (W) = Win C = Custody M = Mobility CS = Child Support
of Appeal
or Cross (L) = Lose A = Access O = Other SS = Spousal Support
Appeal
EQ = Equalization
Panel Judge 1 or 2 Alb = Abella JA Fld = Feldman JA Char = Charron JA
Sim = Simmons JA Wlr = Weiler JA Lng = Lang JA
McM = McMurtry former CJO OCnr = O’Connor DCJO
Gdge = Goudge JA Arm = Arstrong JA Brn = Borin JA
Mcfd = Macfarland JA Macp = Macphearson JA Gil = Gillese JA
Crnk = Cronk JA Catz = Catzman JA Mold = Moldaver JA
Lbse = Labrosse JA Shrp = Sharp JA Rsbg = Rosenberg JA
Lask = Laskin JA Blr = Blair JA Jur = Juriansz JA
Roul = Rouleau JA Kvr = Kriever JA Osb = Osbourne JA
Mord = Morden JA Ast = Austin JA Crty = Carthy JA
Appendix A7 — Cases Examined for Justice McMurtry
Sex of Lawyer ( wining / losing)
Cost Penalty (sex of wining appellant)
Sex. of appellant
Grounds of Appeal . ( Win/Lose )
Cross. Appeal. (Win / Lose )
Panel Judge . 1
Panel Judge . 2
F v m
(w) 6200
2003
Ballentine v Ballentine (June 27)
M
(L) SS, O
Wlr
Mcph
M v m
nc
1996
Balogh v Balogh (November 20)
M
(W) SS,EQ, O (L) SS
Catz
Osbn
(w)
1999
Babij v Babij (March 19)
W
(W) SS, EQ, O
Wlr
Gdge
F v sr
nc
2003
Cada v Cada (October 9)
M
(L) O
Sim
Gdge
M v m
(w) 3000
2005
Cotter v Wasmund (May 13)
M
(L) C
Drty
Lafm
F v m (w)
nc
2005
Grifth v Bootsma (September 20)
M
(W) A, CS, O (L) C
Sim
Catz
M v m
nc
1996
Huisman v Huisman (June 14)
M
(W) SS,EQ
Wlr
Catz
F v m
(w) 10000
2005
Krisko v Krisko (September 23)
M
(L) A
Sim
Catz
M v m
(m) 7500
2002
Latcham v Latcham (May 29)
W
(L) O
Lask
Char
F v m
(w)
2001
Manis v Manis (September 18)
M
(L) O
Alb
Mcph
M v m
(w)
2001
Miglin v. Miglin (April 26)
M
(L) A, SS
(W) SS
Alb
Mold
F v m
nc
2002
Parks v. Barnes (March 7)
W
(W) C
Char
Gdge
M v m
nc
2005
Pirner v Pirnir (January 6)
M
(L) CS
(L) SS
Lask
McM
M v f
(m)
1997
Roach v Roach (December 12)
W
(L) EQ, O
Lask
Rsbg
F v sr
(w) 10000
2004
Roscoe v Roscoe (July 9)
M
(L) C, A, CS, EQ, O
Fld
Brn
M v m
(w) 12000
2002
Sodhi v. Sodhi (June 19)
M
(L) CS, SS
(W) M
Char
Mold
F v m
(m) 5000
2003
Sabourin v Young (June 10)
M
(W) M
Lask
OCnr
M v m
(w)
2001
Scheel v Henkleman (January 16)
W
(W) SS
Feld
Brn
M v m
(w) 4500
2002
Scherer v Scherer (February 18)
W
(W) O
Char
Catz
M v m
(m)
1999
Sefton v Brasg (September 11)
M
(W) CS
Mcky
Rob
2002
Slieman v Slieman (May 14)
M
(W) O
M v m
(w) 22500
2002
Taylor v Taylor (July 8)
M
(W) O
(W) CS
Catz
Mcph
(m) 8000
2005
Zomparelli v Zomparelli (May 12)
W
(L) SS, O
Drty
Lafm
F v m
nc
1998
Wood v Robertson (November 9)
W
(W) O (L) EQ
(L) O
Alb
OCnr
M v m
(w)
2000
Yackobeck v Hartwig (Aug 17)
M
(L) SS, EQ
Feld
Brn
M v m
(w) 6250
2004
Arella v Scobak (July 15)
W
(W) SS
Feld
Brn
M v m
(w) 6411
2002
Ball v Ball (May 7 )
M
(L) O
Lask
Char
M v m
(w) 1000
2001
Hagen v Hagen (February 5)
M
(L) O
Char
Osbn
M v m
(w) 12000
2003
Noble v Noble(April 2)
M
(P) O
Drty
Gil
M v m
(m) 1500
2006
Demarco v Demarco (December 14)
M
(W) O
Arm
Gil
M v m
(w) 5000
2007
Hanna v Hanna (October 7)
W
(W) O
Arm
Mcph
F v m
(w)
1998
McCallum v McCallum (March 23)
M
(W) O
Catz
Mold
F v m
(w) 4000
2004
Evans v Evans (June 18)
M
(L) O
Gil
Blr
F v m
(w) 1000
2006
Beeching v Beeching (December 12)
M
(L) M
Gil
Arm
M v m
(w)
1996
La Russo v La Russo (October 18)
M
(L) M
Catz
Osbn
F (m) v Sr
nc
2006
Cole v Danylkiw (May 18)
M
(W) O (L) C, A
Blr
Rsbg
M v m
(m) 11000
2000
Baldwin v Funston (May 3)
W
(L) SS
Jur
Roul
M v m
(m)
1997
Van Bork v Van Bork (June 27)
M
(W) EQ (L) SS, O
Gdge
Crty
M v m
nc
1997
Crawford v Crawford
W
(L) SS, EQ
Lask
Rsbg
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