JULIAN N. FALCONER, Falconer Charney LLP
Julian Falconer is a husband and father. With his wife and colleague Elisabeth, he has two boys, Ben and Justin. In the true tradition of a Barrister, Julian’s practice takes him to civil, administrative and criminal courts at both the trial and appellate level. He has argued cases in both English and French.
A major component of Julian’s work has involved advocacy in human rights and public interest litigation. At the institutional level, Julian has been legal counsel to numerous organizations including the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (since 1992), the Chinese Canadian National Council (Toronto Chapter), various Presbyteries of the United Church of Canada, the St. Elizabeth Home Society (Hamilton, Ontario) and Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto. He has argued issues of race at the trial and appellate level in both criminal and civil courts.
Julian’s civil litigation practice includes plaintiff personal injury cases and commercial litigation on behalf of institutional clients as well as individuals. Julian’s practice has also included acting as counsel for lawyers on matters ranging from partnership disputes to contempt proceedings and personal costs applications. His practice includes an emphasis on public interest litigation triggering issues of state accountability at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. Julian’s individual clients have included many families who have lost loved ones at the hands of the state, for example, police shootings and prison deaths. Julian’s more notable work at the inquest and inquiry level has included acting on the Ipperwash Inquiry into the Death of Dudley George as well as the Coroners’ Inquests into the Deaths of Lester Donaldson, Robert Gentles, Edmund Yu and Wayne Williams. Julian recently acted for Maher Arar in resolving his litigation which made Canadian legal history as the largest human rights settlement allotted to an individual plaintiff/family. He is also currently counsel to Joseph Pannell whose extradition is being sought by the United States in respect of an alleged 1969 shooting of a Chicago police officer.
Julian’s academic publications include writings in constitutional law, issues of race and the justice system and Coroners Inquests. Julian currently Co-Chairs (with Chief Bill Blair of the Toronto Police Service) the Saving Lives Implementation Group: a Committee struck with the Toronto Police Services Board to implement key reforms in the area of Alternatives to the Use of Lethal Force by Police. Some of Julian’s more renowned clients led a December 2000 National Post profile to describe him as a “Voice for the Powerless”. He is a recipient of Pride Magazine’s African Canadian Achievement Award; the Vision of Justice Award by the Black Law Students Association of Canada; and the Urban Alliance Race Relations Medal. Julian was also honoured by the University of Toronto as one of the twentieth century’s 100 most notable graduates for his work on social change in the context of Coroners Inquests. |
