An Ontario judge likely won’t apologize to Toronto cops for decision in Umar Zameer case
The head of the Ontario Superior Court said it would be “inappropriate and unethical” for the judge to respond to the TPA’s demand for an apology
The head of the Ontario Superior Court has rejected the Toronto Police Association’s call for a judge to apologize for accusing three Toronto cops of lying under oath, in what has become an escalating battle between the police and the justice system.
In July of 2021, Umar Zameer struck and killed Toronto Police Service officer Jeffrey Northrup during a confrontation with four plainclothes cops in the underground parking garage at Nathan Phillips Square. Zameer was charged with first-degree murder but acquitted in August of 2024 by Justice Anne Molloy.
A key detail in his case was the position Northrup was in when he was struck. The three officers on the scene testified that Northrup was standing and visible to Zameer. However, two traffic reconstructionists—one for the prosecution and one for the defence—both determined that Northrup was already on the ground, indicating the collision could have been accidental.
That proved to be a crucial discrepancy. In her decision on the case, Molloy charged that three officers who had witnessed the scene had lied in their testimony before the court, and alleged they colluded to align their stories. The TPS then called on the OPP to investigate those charges.
Related: An OPP investigation finds the TPS officers accused of lying in the trial of Umar Zameer innocent
Earlier this week, the OPP released the results of their investigation, in which their own traffic reconstructionist concluded Northrup had been standing, as the TPS officers had testified.
In response, TPA President Clayton Campbell said the results “vindicated” the officers. He demanded Molloy apologize for her accusations, a call echoed by Premier Doug Ford.
The head of Ontario’s top court has now hit back at Campbell’s request. Chief Justice Geoffrey B. Morawetz said it would be “inappropriate and unethical” for Molloy to apologize, as “out-of-court statements made by the judiciary about cases they have heard can undermine confidence in the Court’s impartiality,” reports CP24.
A lawyer for Zameer, Nader Hasan, went even further yesterday, slamming the calls for Molloy to apologize as “an unprecedented attack against the judiciary and the administration of justice.” Hasan is calling for an open, public investigation into the entire matter.
Morawetz also noted that a process already exists for challenging judges’ decisions, which is to appeal the case—something the Crown did not do following Zameer’s acquittal. The OPP’s conclusions have not been tested in court.
Anthony Milton is a freelance journalist based in Toronto specializing in long-form magazine writing. He previously worked as an assistant editor at Toronto Life, where he launched the Front Row newsletter. He regularly contributes all sorts of stories to the magazine, including deep dives on sports, business and housing as well as short-form commentary on our ever-changing city, from its obsession with cherry blossoms to its maddening NIMBYism. His work has also appeared in Maclean’s, Ricochet, TVO, the Trillium and more.
