THUNDER BAY -- After nearly 30 years on the bench, Justice John Wright is hanging up his judicial robes for good.
On Wednesday, a swearing-out ceremony was held to a packed courtroom at the Thunder Bay Courthouse for Wright, who has spent nearly 50 years working in the legal field.
He spent 20 years as a lawyer before becoming a district court judge in the district of Thunder Bay in 1985.
“It’s with a great deal of nostalgia,” Wright said of his feelings towards his retirement.
The retirement age for judges in Ontario is 75, which Wright said is often referred to as the age of statutory senility.
“There is no going beyond that. If you haven’t finished your cases by then, that’s too bad. Somebody else has to start them all over again,” he said.
Last Friday, Wright wrapped up the trial of John Harry Tsekouras, who was convicted of trafficking cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to traffic cocaine and marijuana.
“It was touch-and-go whether we’d get that finished in time,” he said.
Throughout his career, Wright said the most disruptive changes came from the amalgamation of the district and high courts, which regionalized courts in the province.
“That made a big difference in our caseload,” he said, adding the move from the former Superior Court of Justice on Camelot Street to the new consolidated courthouse on Brodie Street a year ago also was a big transition.
In Thunder Bay, judges also service Kenora, Fort Frances and other municipalities in the region and Wright said he won’t miss making those trips.
“To that extent, it’s time. It’s time to quit,” he said.
What comes next for the former justice is unknown, but Wright said it certainly won’t involve the law unless in a recreational pursuit.
“I just intend to get caught up on all the things I’d hoped to do over the last 40 or 50 years,” he said.
