The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Ontario’s justice system is undergoing one of the most ambitious periods of modernization in its history. With rapid advancements in technology, growing public expectations, and mounting pressures on the justice system, the province is at a defining moment. The question is: how do we build a system that is faster, smarter, and more resilient—while keeping communities safe and holding offenders accountable?
On November 6, 2025, The Empire Club of Canada will present Decades in 6 Years: Ontario’s Courts Modernization, Digital Transformation, and What’s Next. In this timely address, The Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario, will reflect on the significant progress since his appointment six years ago in modernizing Ontario’s courts and advancing digital transformation.
This wide-ranging conversation will examine how Ontario is modernizing the justice system from the ground up: cutting through outdated processes, strengthening access to justice, and delivering smarter tools to strengthen our economy, provide services people expect, hold offenders accountable, and keep communities safe. It will also look ahead at what’s next, as the province builds on a plan to protect Ontario and create a justice system that meets the needs of people today—and tomorrow.
Join us on November 6, 2025, and secure your tickets today!
Attorney General Doug Downey is driving historic transformation across Ontario’s justice system. Noteworthy modernization in areas of technology, processes, and system capacity are central to his vision. Downey’s leadership played a central role in provincial decisions like implementing federally required cannabis legalization. He also led the charge in establishing iGaming Ontario—making Ontario the first Canadian jurisdiction to regulate online gaming, earning the province international recognition.
Doug Downey is committed to strengthening access to justice, modernization, and community safety. That commitment was especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic as the courts transitioned online and processes shifted in real time. His over six years of steady leadership as Attorney General have paved the way for Ontario’s digital transformation, backed by a commitment to safeguard access to justice. He is recognized within government as a hands-on leader who challenges assumptions and delivers practical solutions—centred on the needs of people and communities. His time as a Court Clerk and Court Registrar before law school continues to drive his perspective in the justice system.
With a law degree from Dalhousie University and a Masters of Law from Osgoode Hall, in addition to an undergrad from Wilfrid Laurier and a Masters in Judicial Administration from Brock University, Downey has long been an innovator in the legal profession. He pioneered new practices in real estate law, co-founded a firm in 2001 with former federal Attorney General Doug Lewis, and held leadership roles with the Ontario Bar Association and many other organizations.
Elected as the MPP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte in 2018, starting as Parliamentary Assistant to Finance, and then appointed Attorney General in 2019, Downey continues to advance an ambitious modernization agenda—harnessing technology, eliminating outdated practices, and building a justice system ready for the challenges people and businesses face in Ontario.
Elizabeth Hall is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Ontario Bar Association, the largest of Ontario’s legal associations, with over 17,000 members. Elizabeth heads a team of six lawyers and 40 other professionals, with the leadership and support of 1200 volunteers. Elizabeth’s career began at a leading national law firm. After a decade in private practice, Elizabeth took on leadership roles in government, including Chief of Staff to an Attorney General. In her government and OBA roles, Elizabeth has advised on issues attendant with large-scale modernization projects and on a broad range of justice-sector matters.
