Jill D. Makepeace

Jill Makepeace has almost two decades of experience conducting criminal trials and appeals. She has represented individuals charged with a broad spectrum of criminal offences, including alleged crimes of violence and serious drug cases. A significant concentration of her trial practice is defending regulated professionals facing criminal and administrative prosecution. She has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and New Brunswick. She also has experience before administrative tribunals, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Jill received her LL.B. from the University of Windsor in 2003 and her LL.M. from the University of Alberta in 2008. During law school, she spent a semester with the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories as a judicial intern. That extraordinary opportunity included travel with the Court to remote communities for jury trials. In 2003-2004, Jill returned to Yellowknife to serve as law clerk to the trial judge who presided over the lengthy civil trial arising out of the murder of nine miners during a volatile labour dispute at the Giant Mine in 1992. Thereafter, she commenced thesis-based graduate studies with a research focus on sentencing. After completing a full term of articles with the firm, Jill was called to the Ontario bar in June of 2006.

In addition to her commitment to practice, Jill is a dedicated educator and mentor. Her passion for teaching stems from her background in coaching, training and competing in equestrian sport. For a decade, Jill taught criminal law courses at the University of Windsor law school, including an advanced seminar on criminal motions geared to students pursuing criminal law careers. In 2010, Jill was awarded the Students’ Law Society Special Lecturer Award for exemplary teaching and exceptional dedication to Windsor Law. Jill is currently teaching The Law of Homicide with the Honourable David Watt, K.C. Their course has been offered at Osgoode Hall Law School and Queen’s Law. In addition, Jill thoroughly enjoys serving as articling principal at the firm.

Writing is also a passion and commitment for Jill. She is a co-author of Modern Criminal Evidence (Emond, 2022), a publication awarded the 2024 Walter Owen book prize. In addition, she is privileged to contribute to Tremeear’s Annotated Criminal Code and Watt’s Manual of Criminal Jury Instructions. For seven years, she served as co-editor of the publication of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, For the Defence. She was a regular columnist for that publication for the preceding six years. Jill is also a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs, including for the National Judicial Institute, Law Society of Ontario, The Advocates’ Society, and the Criminal Lawyers’ Association.

Jill is currently a Vice President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. She was a Member-at-Large of the 2023-2024 Criminal Law Practice Group for The Advocates’ Society. From 2018 to 2021, Jill was honoured to serve as a member of the Area Committee for Legal Aid Ontario. She is currently a member of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Ontario Bar Association, and the Advocates’ Society.

On a personal note, Jill aspires to obtain a private pilot licence.