At the June 27, 2022, Call to the Bar ceremony in Toronto, the Law Society will present a degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD) to Court of Appeal Justice Michael H. Tulloch, a true legal pioneer who has advanced justice and equality rights not only through his work as a lawyer and judge, but also through his personal journey shattering systemic barriers.
The Law Society awards honorary doctorates each year to distinguished individuals in recognition of outstanding achievements in the legal profession, the rule of law or the cause of justice.
Justice Tulloch has a long and distinguished career of service as a member of the Canadian judiciary, a Crown prosecutor, a lawyer in private practice and a renowned writer, speaker and professor. He has led systemic reviews of the justice system at various levels, provided leadership on legal and judicial committees, designed and delivered international justice sector reform programs and contributed to a myriad of civic, charitable and community development initiatives.
Justice Tulloch was appointed a Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2003 — at that time, he was one of only three Black judges on any superior court in Canada. Upon his appointment to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2012, Justice Tulloch was the first Black Canadian to sit on any appellate court in Canada.
He is a prolific writer and during his judicial career to date, he has written over 300 published judgments.
Prior his judicial appointment in 2003, he served as an Assistant Crown Attorney in Peel and Toronto from 1991 to 1995 before entering private practice where he specialized in criminal law until his appointment to the bench.
Justice Tulloch has been actively involved in post-secondary institutions, in governance and academic capacities. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto and a Research Fellow at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.
He is a current member of the Board of Directors of the Osgoode Society on Legal History and was a former Lecturer and Don for York University, where he is an alumnus. Justice Tulloch sits on the Board of Directors for the York University Alumni Association. He is an Academic Fellow of both McLaughlin and Vanier Colleges, York University and a former member of the Advisory Board to the Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School.
He served as an Adjunct Professor in the Criminology Department at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and is a member of the Advisory Board to Ryerson University’s School of Criminology. Justice Tulloch is a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Centre of Law and Policy at Ryerson University. He served as an advisor to the President of Sheridan College and was previously a member of the Board of Governors for Centennial College.
Justice Tulloch is a founding member and patron of the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation, an organization which provides scholarships for young people who have been in conflict with the law or who are from at-risk backgrounds and are pursuing a post-secondary education.
Furthermore, within the community, Justice Tulloch is a past member of the Board of Directors for the North York Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Legal Aid Area Committee, the Canadian Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers Association, the Osgoode Society on Canadian Legal History and the National Bar Association.
He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Tropicana Community Services, and the Jane-Finch Community Legal Aid Clinic. He is a Past-President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, a founding Board member of the Rhema Christian Ministries, and a Past-President of the Caribbean and African Chamber of Commerce. Justice Tulloch is also the current Chair of the Advisory Board to the Black Business Professionals Association.
Justice Tulloch holds degrees in Economics and Business from York University and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University with a law degree in 1989. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1991. He has also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Ryerson University and the University of Guelph and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Tyndale University and Seminary.