The Stel Salaried
Pensioners Organization wishes to thank The Hamilton Spectator for permission
to post the following article by Reporter Tara Perkins published in the April
6, 2006 edition
By Tara Perkins
The Canadian Press
TORONTO (Apr 6, 2006)
Tough-talking Justice James Farley, one of Canada's most
prominent judges, shed a few tears in court yesterday after about two dozen
lawyers gathered for a roast to mark his retirement.
"You'll forgive me if I don't shake hands with you
because I'm saving them for golf," said Farley, 65, after receiving a
standing ovation in the courtroom.
Farley became an Ontario Superior Court justice in 1989 and
was instrumental in the development of the commercial court list, which handles
many of the country's thorny corporate matters. The colourful judge has
presided over numerous high-profile bankruptcy cases and restructurings,
including those of Air Canada, Eaton's and Stelco Inc.
He delayed his retirement until the big steelmaker's
two-year case was closed. It wrapped up last Friday and Farley will sit on the
court bench for the last time tomorrow before officially beginning his
retirement in May.
"We're going to be sad. An era will have passed,"
Stelco lawyer Michael Barrack said. "It's been a great ride."
The lawyers involved in Stelco's restructuring booked the
fake court hearing in front of Farley to hold yesterday's playful roast.
Farley's daughter-in-law and his grandson, Adam, 7, appeared with him.
Lawyers teased the judge about his messy handwritten
rulings, his late-night phone calls and his scolding ways.
"We have made a couple of people partners in our
litigation department solely on the basis they can read your writing,"
said one lawyer.
David Roebuck, of law firm Heenan Blaikie, said he always
smiled and nodded in a vain attempt to pretend he understood the numerous
historical and literary analogies Farley would bring up in court. But Farley,
as usual, had the last laugh.
"I have been reminded that there are quite a number of
you ... who have come to court and have not fully appreciated, or appreciated
at all, what I was talking about. That's reciprocal."
David Byers, who was away on vacation, had a colleague read
a statement recalling Byers' good and bad times in front of Farley.
The high was the time Farley called him "an
exemplar." The low was the time the judge threatened him with an amateur
testicular amputation for changing a newspaper ad that Farley had approved.
"I am completely overwhelmed by today, and I've been
overwhelmed by the response to my announcement about my retirement,"
Farley said. "And I know that a fair percentage of you here just want to
make sure I am gone."