New Judges Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice

The Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario, is pleased to announce the appointment of five new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective May 27, 2026.

Justice Vickramjeet Aujla was called to the Ontario bar in 2011. He began his legal career as an assistant Crown attorney with the Peel Crown Attorney’s Office in Brampton, where he prosecuted serious and complex criminal cases. In 2024, he joined the Orangeville Crown Attorney’s Office and became the Crown attorney for Dufferin County, overseeing all criminal prosecutions. He has appeared before the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Justice Aujla is a member of the Brampton Flower City Rotary Club. He also serves on the board of Brampton Caledon Community Living, a non-profit organization that provides residential services, life skills training and family support for individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition, Justice Aujla was a citizen member of the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee, which serves as a resource to city council on matters related to community safety.

Justice Aujla graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned Justice Aujla to Orangeville.

Justice Matthew Raymond Caputo was called to the Ontario bar in 2012. He began his legal career as a municipal prosecutor with the City of Sault Ste. Marie. In 2016, he joined Peter Bortolussi’s private practice. Together they formed Bortolussi Caputo Lawyers, working across several areas of law, including family, corporate, commercial, wills and estates, and criminal matters. Justice Caputo joined the Ministry of the Attorney General in 2018 as an assistant Crown attorney in North Region. Since 2023, he has been the North Region Internet Child Exploitation Team lead, providing advice to colleagues and the police on complex legal issues. He has appeared before the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Since 2018, Justice Caputo has been a head referee for the VEX Robotics Competition, maintaining a fair and supportive environment for student competitors. He is also a member of a Kiwanis Club of Lakeshore Trivia Team, participating in events that support local charitable initiatives.

Justice Caputo graduated from the Queen’s University Faculty of Law.

Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned Justice Caputo to Sault Ste. Marie.

Justice Kenneth Asher Fishman was called to the Ontario bar in 2009. He began his legal career as a lawyer with Rayson Bond LLP, practicing both family law and civil litigation, before joining Basman Smith LLP. In 2016, Justice Fishman became an associate and later a partner at Boulby Weinberg Fishman LLP, where he worked on a variety of complex family law matters. He has appeared before the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Justice Fishman was a part-time vice chair and member of the Licence Appeal Tribunal, adjudicating a variety of issues critical to the province and community stakeholders. He was also a part-time member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board during its final year of activity, participating in hearings that dealt with compensation claims for victims of violent crime throughout the province.

Justice Fishman graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned Justice Fishman to Toronto.

Justice Sean Peter Horgan was called to the Ontario bar in 1999. He began his legal career with Genest Murray Desbrisay Lamek, LLP before joining the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office as an assistant Crown attorney in 2000. In 2006, he moved to the Ontario Securities Commission as a senior litigation counsel and manager, after which he returned to the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office. Justice Horgan joined the Crown Law Office – Criminal in 2019 as counsel in the Appeals group, and in 2022, he moved to the Special Prosecutions Unit, conducting complex prosecutions. In 2024, Justice Horgan joined the Complex Prosecutions Bureau as chief counsel for the Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team, overseeing a team of Crown counsel and business professionals. He has appeared before the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Justice Horgan has volunteered with the Ontario Justice Education Network since 2022. He is a volunteer basketball coach with the Ontario Special Olympics and has coached with the North York Knights Hockey Association and the North Toronto Hockey Association, mentoring youth on and off the ice.

Justice Horgan graduated from the Queen’s University Faculty of Law.

Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned Justice Horgan to Oshawa.

Justice Anya Kortenaar was called to the Quebec bar in 2012 and the Ontario bar in 2013. She was a law clerk for the Honourable Justice Michael J. Moldaver at the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice Kortenaar began her legal career with the Pembroke Crown Attorney’s Office as an assistant Crown attorney, prosecuting a wide range of matters in French and English before both the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. In 2016, she joined the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s Office before becoming Crown counsel with the Provincial Human Trafficking Prosecution Team. Justice Kortenaar also appeared before the Ontario Review Board in Ottawa. Since 2024, she has been an assistant Crown attorney with the Guns and Gangs Team (East Region), advising police and prosecuting firearm cases.

Justice Kortenaar is a board member for the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, which provides services to refugees and immigrants. She was a co-director of the French Current Legal Issues course at Crown summer school. Justice Kortenaar has delivered training and presentations on a variety of legal topics to police, judges and lawyers. She sits on the Sopinka Cup Organizing Committee and the parents’ council at a local school. Justice Kortenaar has been a mentor to young lawyers through the Association des juristes d’expression française (AJEFO), the Crown Mentorship Program and the Sexual Violence Mentorship Program.

Justice Kortenaar graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Law.

Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas has assigned Justice Kortenaar to Ottawa.