FOLA Condemns Calls for a Judicial Apology in Umar Zameer case

For Immediate Release: March 19, 206

The Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA), representing 46 county and district law associations across the province, joins our colleagues the Toronto Lawyers Association, Criminal Lawyers Association, and The Advocates Society, in strongly condemning the recent calls for Justice Anne Molloy of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to apologize for comments she made about Toronto police officers in the context of a 2024 criminal trial, which have now been disputed by a subsequent OPP report.

Following the OPP report released March 17, 2026 regarding the officers’ conduct in the Umar Zameer trial, Premier Doug Ford and the President of the Toronto Police Association have made statements calling on the trial judge to apologize to the officers involved in the case. These statements are appalling and an inappropriate attack on judicial independent. These statements are an unconcealed attempt to subvert the justice system.

Judicial independence is the cornerstone of our constitutional democracy.  Judicial Officers must be impartial and unbiased to protect the integrity and legitimacy of the courts.    Judges make decisions about credibility, because along with juries, they are in the best position to determine whether or not to believe a witness as they have seen all of the evidence presented at trial.

Judges are only able to speak through their decisions.  Trial decisions are available to the public and can be appealed by the parties involved. Judges cannot publicly comment on matters before them or the courts generally.    Notably, in this case, the Crown did not appeal the acquittal.

The OPP report on the offices’ conduct was a repackaging of the evidence already heard by an impartial jury that unanimously rejected the offices’ account and found Mr. Zameer not guilty.   It was clear at the end of the trial that the Toronto Police Service did not agree with the outcome.  The Toronto Police Chief declared, “we were hoping for a different outcome.”  They then used this report to achieve it with an internal report that did not release the “evidence” and reports they used to come to this conclusion.  Instead of an open, public, and independent process, as we saw in the trial, where the evidence at tested and found wanting, the police used a closed process and accepted novel theories never tested at trial.

“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions which were based on the evidence presented in open court, in response to requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case”, said Karen Seeley, chair of FOLA’s criminal law committee, “To do so, is an attack on judicial independent and the integrity of the trial process and justice system as a whole.”

About FOLA

FOLA is a non-profit organization that represents Ontario’s 46 county and district law associations. Most of FOLA’s members are sole practitioners or work in small firms across the province.

###

Contact:

Ian Hu

Director of Policy & Advocacy, FOLA

Email: ian.hu@fola.ca