Emile Carrington appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice
March 1, 2022
Children raised by parents who are teachers quickly learn the importance of education.
It was no different in Emile Carrington’s household.
Turned on to law during his undergraduate studies at McGill University in the late 1980s, the Assistant Crown Attorney has been appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice.
Carrington, who has appeared at all levels of court in the province, is assigned to St. Thomas in southwestern Ontario.
“This has been a career goal for me, and my family is very proud,” he said. “Since the announcement was made, the word of my appointment has been spread far and wide by mom, aunts, uncles and cousins.”
Since being called to the Bar in 1994, Carrington has paid his dues.
Working as a Crown counsel for the majority of his career, he started as an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Oshawa office before moving to the Toronto office, the Guns and Gang Unit, the Crown Law Office-Criminal and the Windsor Office.
Carrington also served as Discipline Counsel for the Law Society of Ontario for two years and his practice in criminal law and professional discipline has encompassed trial and appellate advocacy.
How have those experiences prepared him for his new role?
“One of the things I really liked about being Crown Counsel is that you have a lot of discretion that allows you to sometimes come up with creative solutions,” Carrington said. “I liked having that in many cases and trying to do the right thing without necessarily being obligated to having to take a particular position. You also don’t act for the police although you work in conjunction with them and, above all, you have an over-riding duty of fairness.”
Retired Senior Court Judge Greg Regis welcomes Carrington’s appointment.
“Justice Carrington has a strong intellect combined with common sense and a history of commitment to justice,” he pointed out. “He also has an enviable record as a trial lawyer and a strong record of community service. These experiences will serve him well in his new role.”
While the new judge was in high school, the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms was enacted.
“That was new then and I was very interested in that,” Carrington, who has been a Bar Admission Course and Advocates’ Society instructor, said. “Though majoring in Economics, I took courses that allowed me to pursue my interest in human rights. I was also involved in the McGill South Africa Committee.”
Formed in the early 1980s to campaign the university to divest from companies doing business in South Africa, the group morphed into a committee focusing on anti-apartheid.
“I was very much part of that committee and those activities helped me have an interest in law,” said Carrington who completed his high school education at the University of Toronto Schools.
He completed Law studies in 1992 at the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law. Of the graduating class of 203, he was one of three Blacks.
On the way to the top of his profession, Carrington got a lot of support.
That’s why he has always found time to assist young people considering a career in law and volunteer with community organizations.
Carrington served on the Tropicana Community Services and Catholic Crosscultural Services Boards and on several committees that promote diversity and inclusion. He also mentors elementary and high school students and members of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association and the McGill Black Mentorship program.
“I didn’t get to where I am without having many good mentors,” he said. “It was so important to me to learn from mentors and have their encouragement and support. With that, it was an imperative for me to do the same for others and to help uplift communities.”
Family support was also pivotal in Carrington’s upbringing.
His father, Aubrey Carrington, who passed away two days after Christmas in 2014, left Trinidad & Tobago (T & T) on a student visa in 1957 and worked as a railway porter with Canadian Railways while pursuing studies.
He attended the University of British Columbia, taught Math and Electronics in the Greater Toronto Area and was an Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation member for 15 years.
His wife of 48 years also migrated from T & T.
“My mom taught in Trinidad, but couldn’t a get a job in that field when she got here because she didn’t have the Canadian teaching requirements,” said Carrington who has been a frequent speaker for legal education programs and has published several legal articles. “She went to school part-time at the University of Toronto while raising three children. That she was willing to work so hard to get back into teaching here while being a great mother took a lot of sacrificing. She is a really remarkable woman and a great example for me. As for my dad, he was happy that I decided to go into law and I know he would be very proud of where I am at now.”
In his spare time, the married father of two children enjoys jazz music and watching sports. He’s a member of a listening jazz club that share tunes and compile playlists.
