The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Angela Furlanetto, Prothonotary of the Federal Court in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Madam Justice Furlanetto replaces Mr. Justice P.B. Annis, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 18, 2020.
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"I wish Justice Furlanetto every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a judge of the Federal Court."
-The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Angela Furlanetto was born in Hamilton, Ontario. She received a Master of Science degree in Biochemistry in 1993 and her LL.B in 1996. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1998.
Prior to her appointment as a judge, Madam Justice Furlanetto was a prothonotary of the Federal Court, presiding over and managing many actions and applications since her appointment on March 8, 2019. Before joining the Court, she had been a partner with the law firms DLA Piper (Canada) LLP and Dimock Stratton LLP, where she litigated intellectual property matters for twenty years, appearing regularly before the federal courts. While in practice, she received many accolades for her work in intellectual property litigation, particularly in the area of patent litigation and in the field of life sciences, and was recognized by such leading industry directories as the Canadian Legal Lexpert® directory, IAM Patent 1000, Who's Who Legal, Best Lawyers, Benchmark Canada, and Managing Intellectual Property.
Justice Furlanetto was a regular speaker on intellectual property law and litigation practice and also wrote frequently on these matters. She was an active member of the Canadian Bar Association, serving as a former chair of the National IP Section, a long-standing member of the Court Practice Committee, an original member of the Federal Court IP User's Committee, and an IP Section representative on the Federal Court Bench and Bar Committee.
Dedicated to development in the profession, Justice Furlanetto notably helped to found the Harold G. Fox Moot, Canada's only intellectual property moot, where she acted as chair for ten years.
Quick facts
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At the Superior Court level, more than 440 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
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Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
