The Honorable Justice Steve Anthony Coroza
16 May 2013 – Filipino excellence continues to gain ground in Canada with the elevation of the Honorable Steve Anthony Coroza, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines, to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario.
Justice Coroza is the first Filipino-Canadian to hold a seat at a provincial superior court in Canada. His position is the highest attained by a Filipino-Canadian in the Canadian judiciary thus far.
The historic appointment was announced on 29 April 2013 by the Department of Justice of Canada and takes effect on 8 July 2013.
Justice Coroza obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor Law School in 1995. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1997 and completed a Master of Laws degree at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2003.
He began his career as a staff duty counsel for Ontario Legal Aid in Toronto where he practiced criminal law until 1998. Thereafter until 2009, he served as a senior counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada where he prosecuted offenses and appeared at all levels of court in Ontario while supervising over 100 federal Crown agents throughout southern Ontario.
Justice Coroza was a distinguished member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers where he was valued as a mentor and instructor to many young lawyers. He also served as an instructor for the Bar Admission Course (2001-2009), a part-time instructor at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology (2004-2007), and an instructor of the Trial Practice Course and Trial Advocacy Workshop at Osgoode Hall Law School where he is currently an adjunct professor.
He is also the co-author of a publication entitled Sentencing Drug Offenders.
On the side, Justice Corza served on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer Society of Peel and as treasurer of the Mississauga Community Legal Services clinic.
Commenting on Justice’s Coroza’s appointment, Philippine Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan said, “I join Filipino communities across Canada in celebrating Justice Coroza’s latest achievement. His elevation to a prominent position in the Canadian judiciary sharpens the visibility of Filipinos in Canada’s multicultural society and should inspire younger generations of Filipino-Canadians to aim for excellence in all their endeavors.” END