Mr. Justice Richard Schneider of the Ontario Court of Justice has been awarded the 2007 Justice Award by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ). The Justice Award is awarded every second year as a mark of distinction and exceptional achievement to a person who, in the opinion of a panel of independent judges, has shown distinctive leadership in the administration of justice in Canada, or who, by his or her writings or other endeavours, has made a significant contribution to the administration of justice in Canada. Previous recipients include Mr. Justice Jules Deschênes, Chief Justice Brian Dickson, Dr. W.A. Bowker, Madam Justice Claire L’Heureux Dube, Honourable G. Arthur Martin, and Honourable Horace Krever.
Justice Schneider presides at Toronto’s Mental Health Court. He is co-author, with Dr. Hy Bloom of Mental Disorder and the Law: A primer for Legal and Mental Health Professionals (Irwin Law, 2006) and Mental Health Courts: Decriminalizing the Mentally Ill (Irwin Law, 2007). He is also author of Annotated Mental Health Statutes, 4th edition which was published by Irwin Law in August 2007.