Early life and education

Brownstone was born on July 24, 1956 in Paris, France, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

. He attended Scott Park Secondary School and received his LL.B. degree from Queen's University

Queen's University

Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...

 in Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

 in 1980 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1983 after articling with criminal lawyer Leo Adler.

Career

Brownstone worked as a Legal Aid

Legal aid

Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...

 duty counsel

Duty counsel

In Ontario, Canada a duty counsel is a lawyer paid by Legal Aid Ontario who provides limited legal services in criminal, family law and child protection matters to people who arrive at court without representation, mainly in the Ontario Court of Justice....

 lawyer in the Toronto criminal courts from 1983 to 1985, and then practised criminal law

Criminal law

Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...

 with prominent criminal lawyers William A. Gorewich (now a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice) and Stephen Price.

In 1987 he joined the Research Facility of the Ontario Legal Aid Plan

Legal Aid Ontario

Legal Aid Ontario is a publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, responsible for administering the legal aid program in the province of Ontario, Canada...

, where he became Head of the Family Law

Family law

Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...

 section. In 1989 he joined the Ministry of the Attorney General

Attorney General

In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...

, Support and Custody Enforcement Branch, as counsel. The Support and Custody Enforcement Program was responsible for the enforcement of child and spousal support

Alimony

Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...

 orders and custody orders. In 1991 he was appointed Legal Director of the Family Support Plan (which was the new name of the Support and Custody Enforcement Program) and in 1992 he was appointed Director of the entire Program while continuing to serve as Legal Director. The Program is now called the Family Responsibility Office, and is operated by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

He was appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice

Ontario Court of Justice

The Ontario Court of Justice is a Provincial Court for the Canadian province of Ontario. This court oversees matters relating to family law and criminal law....

 in 1995, making him the first openly gay judge in Canada. Mr. Justice Brownstone presided in criminal court and family court

Family court

A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...

 for 6 years, and since 2001 has presided exclusively in family court, at the North Toronto Family Court.

Media

In addition to his role in the court, Justice Brownstone has published a best selling book, Tug of War, on family law and frequently comments on family law and divorce issues in the Canadian national media. The book was the first of its kind, written by a sitting judge on legal issues and intended for the general public. Justice Brownstone has dedicated 100% of the proceeds from his book to the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada

Children's Wish Foundation of Canada

The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is a Canadian charitable organization whose mission is to fulfill the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Founded in 1983, the foundation has chapters in every province and territory of Canada. As of 2010 has granted over 16,000...

, and does not receive any remuneration from his show.

In 2010, Justice Brownstone hosted an online talk show entitled Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone which is the first talk show ever hosted by a sitting judge.. Nine episodes were released in the first season. In 2011 Family Matters was renewed for a second season, comprising 15 episodes, which debuted on CHCH TV on September 13, 2011 and is also broadcast on a number of other independent TV stations. The episodes will eventually be posted on the show's website. The legal profession has expressed that the show will be a big tool in educating the public about family issues.

His high visibility in Canadian society has made him one of the most recognizable faces of the Canadian justice system, especially due to his charisma and use of humour.

Between the book and his TV show, Justice Brownstone has been described as "a maverick judge who is a pioneer that is unilaterally changing the public image of the judiciary."
In August 2010 Justice Brownstone received the prestigious "Colleague in the Spotlight" award from the Canadian Bar Association Judges' Forum.

Justice Brownstone was featured in the documentary "Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement" (Bless Bless Productions, 2010), and is the subject of a full-length interview on the special features on the DVD.

His commentary on the flaws in the family justice system have prompted reforms by the Attorney-General, who has enacted many of the changes suggested by Justice Brownstone.

Published works

• Tug of War: A Judge's Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court (ECW Press, 2009).

External links

49 minute audio.}}}}

• http://law.queensu.ca/events/eventsArchive/queensLaw50Events/socialJustice/socialJusticeBios.html#harveyBrownstone
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090315.weBrownstone16/BNStory/specialComment
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090227.wbrownstone28/BNStory/National/
• http://www.thecommentary.ca/ontheline/20090616a.html Audio interview regarding Tug of War