McConnell, Gordon Hodges

1969 - 1996 - Ontario Provincial Court Judge

He was appointed as a Naval Cadet (UNTD) RCN(R) 1950.

In 1949 - 1950 he served in HMCS Scotian (Mt A). (He was released.)

In 1974, Judge Gordon H. McConnell set a precedent in Canadian law, when he sentenced two men responsible for 22 acts of willful damage. Instead of incarcerating the young men, McConnell ordered the offenders to meet their victims to atone for their offence and ultimately make repairs when possible or pay the out-of-pocket costs sustained by the individual victims. Now commonly referred to as the “Elmira Case” by those familiar with restorative justice, the case has been seen as a breakthrough for an alternative approach to crime which seeks to actually bring restitution to the victims, rehabilitation to the offenders and reconciliation between the involved parties. This is an idea that stands in stark contrast to the punitive legacy of the criminal justice system. The direct result of the ruling saw the Canadian Criminal Code changed to allow for interaction between both the victim and the offender. As well, it saw the founding of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP), which was the first of its kind. According to Wayne Northey in his article, “A Brief Look at Restorative Justice”, its impact was felt on an international scale.

He states, “Over 200 mediation programs in North America alone trace their origins to the program [VORP]” and that “several hundred similar programs now exist in Europe and elsewhere.”