Sault MPP Ross Romano’s wife, Heather-Ann Mendes, has been appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice.

A Ministry of Attorney General press release states Mendes, who has been in private practice in Sault Ste. Marie since 2005, has been assigned to Sudbury.

She is one of six new justices appointments announced late Monday by Attorney General Caroline Mulroney on the AG’s website.

The appointments become effective May 23.

Mendes is a partner in the local firm O’Neill DeLorenzi Mendes Nanne.

She was called to the bar in July 2005 after graduating from the University of Windsor Law School in 2004.

Mendes also has an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, which she obtained in 2001.

Her practice has focused on family and child protection law. She has also been a panel lawyer with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer since 2008 and a family and child protection mediator since 2013.

Mendes has also served as a deputy judge for small claims court since 2016.

She is a member of numerous professional and community associations.

She has also been a guest lecturer at Algoma University, Algoma Family Services, the Indian Friendship Centre and Garden River First Nation where she presented topics pertaining to family law and child protection law.

Romano was first elected to represent Sault Ste. Marie at Queen’s Park in the June 2017 by-election after former MPP David Orazietti stepped down.

Romano, also a lawyer, was re-elected in the June 2018 general provincial election.

The couple have three children.

MORE LATER ……