Afton David is Senior Legal Advisor at Chantier Davie Canada Inc. and a reservist in the infantry with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. Her professional path brings together law, public service, and the military, with a strong interest in the legal frameworks that shape Canada’s defence and security institutions.

She holds degrees in Civil Law (LL.L.) and Common Law (J.D.) from the University of Ottawa’s National Program, as well as a bachelor’s degree in International Development and Globalization. Afton was called to the Ontario Bar in 2018 and is currently completing a Master of Public Administration at the Royal Military College of Canada, where she focuses on the strategic, institutional, and operational dimensions of Canada’s defence procurement system.

Her professional and academic interests lie primarily in constitutional law, commercial law, and military justice. In 2017, Afton received the Canadian Bar Association’s Sword and Scale Award for her paper Neither Charity nor Special Treatment: Amendments to Sustainably Modernize the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re‑establishment and Compensation Act. She has also published on medical assistance in dying and is cited in the Oxford Handbook of the Canadian Constitution for her work on Amending the Constitution of Canada. 

In 2021, she co‑authored the chapter “The Fork in the Road and the Path Not Taken” in March to Justice: Global Military Law Landmarks, which examines the lasting impact of R. v. Généreux on Canadian military justice. She later contributed to the Commonwealth’s work on the development of military justice principles in Stellenbosch, South Africa. More recently, she published in the Canadian Bar Review and appeared as a witness before the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence on the practical implications of Bill C‑11. 

Outside her professional work, Afton is a former high‑level rugby player, having represented the uOttawa Gee‑Gees, the Ottawa Irish Rugby Club, and the Québec provincial team. She is also an active amateur boxer and participated in Fight for the Cure in 2019 in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, as well as Clash of Cartier in 2023 and 2026 in support of the CHofO Foundation.

Outside her professional work, Afton enjoys staying active, cooking, reading, volunteering, and spending time with her family and friends. She places great importance on community engagement, work–life balance, and the collective contribution to individual success. She gratefully acknowledges the support of her spouse, family, mentors, and network, and maintains that she would not have been able to achieve any of the above without them. She is also the parent of two children, whom she considers her greatest achievement.