Item - 2026.NM5.1

The Nominating Panel - Administrative Penalty Tribunal recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Administrative Penalty Tribunal for a term of office ending April 25, 2030, and until successors are appointed:

Barbara Cappell

Hillary Cook

Anne Gottlieb

Diane Hall

Paulette Haynes

Gavin Leeb

Taivi Lobu

Shirley Nguyen

Emile Ramlochan

Janet Ross

Chantelle Russell

Paul Sommerville

2. City Council appoint Paul Sommerville as Chair of the Administrative Penalty Tribunal for a term of office ending April 25, 2030, and until a successor is appointed.

The Nominating Panel - Administrative Penalty Tribunal directed that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, and 2 to 4 to the report (March 25, 2026) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Administrative Penalty Tribunal.

The Nominating Panel - Administrative Penalty Tribunal recommended candidate APT2-449 for appointment, which candidate subsequently withdrew from consideration.

Candidates' Biographies

Barbara Cappell

Barbara Cappell is a retired lawyer and qualified adjudicator. Before becoming a lawyer, she earned a master’s degree in psychology and worked in educational research. After being called to the Bar in 1983, she worked in private practice for several years until she joined the Legal Department of the City of Toronto in 1991, where she worked until retiring in 2016. After retiring, she qualified as an adjudicator and worked for 5 years as a part-time Vice-Chair at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. She was first appointed to the APT in 2021.

Hillary Cook

Hilary Cook brings over 20 years of experience litigating before boards and tribunals in labour, employment, and human rights contexts to her practice as a mediator and arbitrator. She holds certificates in Adjudication for Administrative Agencies, Boards& Tribunals, and in Dispute Resolution. She has taught University level courses in Educational Law, Ethics, and Professional Conduct, Employment and Labour Law, and Employment Mediation. She sits on the executives of the Ontario Bar Association’s ADR, Education Law, and Labour and Employment sections where she is also the CPD (professional development) liaison. She is committed to fairness and to enhancing access to justice for everyone. She is fluent in English and French

Anne Gottlieb

Anne Gottlieb is an adjudicator and mediator experienced in the delivery of online services. She serves on the Condominium Authority Tribunal and is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR). Anne has been involved in many charitable and not for profit organizations. She holds the following degrees: Hons. B.A., LL.B., LL.M. (ADR).

Diane Hall

Ms Hall is a bilingual professional with significant community service and employment experience relating to human rights, family violence and Ontario's Indigenous people. She has adjudicated appeals for municipal government tribunals and appeal bodies for eleven years. She is also an accomplished dispute resolution specialist achieved through nineteen years experience doing mediation and appeals resolution for the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and Ombudsman Ontario.

Ms Hall is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/C)and holds the Advanced Certificate in Adjudication from Osgoode Hall Law School/SOAR and the Dispute Resolution Certificate from the University of Windsor Law School. She is a registered member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Ontario's College of Social Workers, and a member of the Society for Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR).

Paulette Haynes

Paulette S. Haynes received her Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School. She started her own law practice shortly after she was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994. Ms. Haynes has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada, and various administrative tribunals. She is also a trained mediator and former By-law Prosecutor with the City of Toronto.

Gavin Leeb

Gavin Leeb was the Legal Director of a large national social justice organization from 2016 until 2023 when he commenced early retirement to pursue other interests. He started with the organization as a staff lawyer in 2008 after being in private practice as a sole practitioner for five years. Prior to attending law school, Gavin worked as an advocate elsewhere in the social justice community. Over the course of his career Gavin was a dedicated litigator who regularly appeared before statutory and ad hoc administrative tribunals and in the Courts. Gavin has lived in Toronto his entire life and maintained an active local presence having coached minor league hockey in a number of programs over a period of 20 plus years. He continues to contribute to civic life through participation in a variety of other community activities. Gavin holds an M.I.R. and a LL.B. from the University of Toronto and a B.A. (C. Hons.) from McMaster University. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2002.

Taivi Lobu

With a rich history of community-based activity and with legal clinics, Taivi has played an active role in many Toronto neighbourhoods. She has served as the Executive Director of both Community Legal Education Ontario and of the Ontario Justice Education Network. In addition to a law practice, Taivi has had a long career as an adjudicator - primarily with the Health Professions and Health Services Appeal and Review Boards and later, with the Licence Appeal Tribunal. She has been a speaker and multi-year contributor with many justice sector organizations, including the Society for Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators and the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals. In 2025 Taivi was awarded the SOAR medal for her contributions to administrative justice. She supports many local initiatives, including Scarborough’s Acoustic Harvest, the Cabbagetown Community Arts Centre and Doors Open Toronto.

Shirley Nguyen

Shirley Nguyen is an adjudicator and dispute resolution professional with extensive experience in administrative justice. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School. In addition to her leadership role sand contributions to legal education, Ms. Nguyen has also volunteered with non-profit organizations in mediation and education through community-based initiatives.

Emile Ramlochan

Emile Ramlochan has held numerous appointments with administrative decision-making bodies created at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government. His roles included serving as an adjudicator, arbitrator, tribunal member, mediator, ombudsman investigator, and dispute resolution professional. Currently, he holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from York University and is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School holding three Master of Laws (L.L.M.) degrees in Dispute Resolution, Health Law, and Administrative Law.

Janet Ross

Janet Ross is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is also a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law and completed the Ontario Bar Admission Course. She practiced law in the private sector before joining the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Hearings Determination Division as a Tribunal Officer and Analyst until retiring in 2019. She was appointed to the Sign Variance Committee in 2022 and became Chair in 2024. She completed her service on the Committee in 2026.

Chantelle Russell

Chantelle Russell is a Licensed Paralegal and Hearing Officer with extensive experience in administrative decision-making and adjudication. She currently serves as a Resolution Officer with the Canadian Transportation Agency, a federal quasi-judicial tribunal, where she analyzes evidence, interprets legislation, and issues fair and impartial decisions. She also serves as a Hearing Officer for the City of Markham's Administrative Monetary Penalty System, conducting hearings in accordance with the Statutory Powers Procedure Act. Chantelle is the owner of TR at Law Paralegal Services and has previously held investigative and adjudicative roles with Service Canada in Employment Insurance programs. She has served as Vice President of CEIU Local 569 and as a Racism and Diversity Facilitator with the Canada School of Public Service. Chantelle is committed to promoting accessibility, fairness, and integrity in administrative justice.

Paul Sommerville

An experienced regulatory professional, with extensive experience in adjudication and policy development. As an executive has led a variety of organizations through evolving mandates, and regulatory environments.

The Nominating Panel – Administrative Penalty Tribunal will conduct interviews and recommend thirteen candidates, including one as Chair, to City Council for appointment to the Administrative Penalty Tribunal.