New superior court judge for Cornwall

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

OTTAWA – Cornwall has a new superior court judge.

Nathalie Champagne has been named a judge with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and will be serving in the city. Her start date is not known.

Champagne comes from a Canadian military family and earned her undergraduate degrees at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. She was called to the bar in 1992 and also had an 18-year career with Legal Aid Ontario. Champagne has extensive mediation training and is known for her settlement skills in family and civil law, according to her biography.

Outside of the legal arena, she has been a volunteer for the Girl Guides of Canada, a Sunday school teacher and taught with a non-profit children’s drama club.

Champagne was among three judicial appointments announced last week by Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Champagne replaces Judge Joseph Henderson, who retired at the end of 2017, but is still working part-time – a position called a supernumerary judge. Henderson had presided in St. Catharines, Ont., but due to a number of internal transfers, the judiciary position Champagne is filling opened up in Cornwall.