JUSTICE REPORTER -- The appointment of an Ontario judge who is seen as an opponent of pro-choice and gay rights has created a stir among social activists.

Spokesmen expressed concerns yesterday about the appointment of Mr. Justice David Brown, a Toronto lawyer who has represented Christian family-value positions in several cases, and has written papers dealing with legal developments involving the sanctity of life.

"What we are seeing is something we predicted: The Harper government intends to follow in the footsteps of the Bush government in the U.S. with measures like this," said Carolyn Egan, a spokeswoman for the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

Shayna Hodgson, a spokeswoman for Toronto's Morgentaler abortion clinic, reacted with dismay to the appointment. "Slowly, in a stealthy way and under the radar, the Harper government is taking a page from the book of their brothers and sisters in the U.S.," she said.

Ms. Hodgson said the pro-choice movement has been beaten back in the United States by tactics such as appointing judges who oppose abortion and by introducing laws that change the age of consent and rules for notifying parents.

However, Campaign Life Coalition spokeswoman Mary Ellen Douglas said that the courts are packed with judges appointed by Liberal governments, much to the delight of left-leaning pressure groups.

While Judge Brown's main area of legal expertise is energy, he has shown considerable interest in issues surrounding the sanctity of life: abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide. He also represented Focus on the Family (Canada) and REAL Women of Canada in a court intervention against the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.

Judge Brown acted in defence of anti-abortion demonstrators barred from going close to abortion clinics. He also acted for REAL Women in defence of the right to spank children several years ago.

The government has also come under fire this week in regard to another of the 10 judges it appointed on Monday: Mr. Justice Jacques Léger. Judge Léger, a former Conservative Party president, was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court.

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