Roy McMurtry is a mediator and arbitrator with ADR Chambers.

Roy is the former Chief Justice of Ontario, High Commission to Great Britain and Attorney General for Ontario and is a member of the advocacy department in Gowlings’ Toronto office where he provides strategic counsel to clients in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining Gowlings, Roy practised law as a trial counsel for 17 years before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1975. Upon election, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Premier William G. Davis as the Attorney General for Ontario, a position he held until 1985. As Attorney General, he oversaw an unparalleled era of law reform in Ontario, including bilingualism in the courts, multiculturalism and family law reform. He was deeply involved in the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. During that period he also served for four years as the Solicitor General for Ontario.

In 1985, Roy was appointed Canada’s High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Great Britain, a post he held until late 1988. In 1991 he was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court and then Chief Justice of that Court in 1994. In February 1996 he was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario, a capacity in which he served for over 11 years until May 30, 2007.

In 2008, he became a recipient of the Order of Ontario and was appointed as the 12th Chancellor of York University.  On July 1, 2009, Roy was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada.