James C. Kent

James C. Kent (born 1941) is a Canadian judge and former Brantford City Councillor. Kent is currently the Regional Senior Judge for Ontario's Central South Region.

Early life and career

Kent holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario (1967) and a Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School (1986). He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1969 and was a defence counsel before his appointment as a judge.[1]

He was elected to the Brantford City Council in 1972, winning the first seat in the city's fourth ward. He served for one term and did not run for re-election in 1974.[2]

Judge

Kent was appointed as a county and district court judge in 1980. He was later named as the district court judge for Brant in 1987 and was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice - General Division in 1990.[3] He became the acting regional senior judge for Ontario's Central South Region in 2002 and was officially confirmed in the role in May 2003.[4]

Kent imposed a record fine of $646,000 on a Hamilton man convicted of smuggling cigarettes in 1997.[5]

In 1999, Kent ruled that the Government of Canada would be required to answer discovery questions from the Six Nations pertaining to the government's historical management of indigenous land around the Grand River.[6] The government initially indicated that it wanted to appeal the decision, but it later provided the requested answers.[7] The court decision was seen as a significant development for indigenous rights in Ontario.

Kent presided over a case involving striking workers at Engineered Coated Products in Brantford in 2010.[8]

References
  1. Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced Archived 2012-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, Law & Behold, 2003, accessed 12 November 2010; "Wanted to be shot, man jailed 10 years," Globe and Mail, 18 October 1979, p. 12.
  2. Heather Ibbotson, "Its halls echo with 150 years of justice," Brantford Expositor, 7 September 2002, A1.
  3. Heather Ibbotson, "Its halls echo with 150 years of justice," Brantford Expositor, 7 September 2002, A1.
  4. "Local judge gets promotion," Brantford Expositor, 10 January 2002, A3 [confirms 2002 as start date]; "Kent appointed regional judge," Brantford Expositor, 2 May 2003, A4; Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced Archived 2012-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, Law & Behold, 2003, accessed 12 November 2010.
  5. Barbara Brown, "Largest fine ever in smuggling case," Hamilton Spectator, 7 October 1997, A1.
  6. Susan Gamble, "Six Nations wins round in land fight," Brantford Expositor, 30 July 1999, A5; Carol Goodwin, "Six Nations land claim deal could be costly," Kitchener Record, 9 August 1999, A1.
  7. Michael-Allan Marion, "Six Nations will receive answers on land claims," Brantford Expositor, 12 September 2000, A1.
  8. Sean Allen, "ECP agrees to talks," Brant News, 18 September 2010, accessed 22 November 2010.
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