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Minister of Justice and Attorney Basic of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia

Minister of Justice and Attorney Basic of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia

Table of Contents

February 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Division of Justice Canada  

The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney Common of Canada, nowadays announced the following appointments under the judicial software approach proven in 2016. This procedure emphasizes transparency, advantage, and the variety of the Canadian populace, and will carry on to guarantee the appointment of jurists who meet the maximum criteria of excellence and integrity.

Sandra Sukstorf, Military services Judge at the Place of work of the Chief Military Choose, is appointed a Decide of the Supreme Courtroom of British Columbia in Port Coquitlam. Justice Sukstorf fills a person of the a few newly produced positions authorized even more to the Spending plan Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1.

Christopher Greenwood, Senior Typical Counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Greenwood replaces Justice G.S. Funt (Vancouver), who elected to come to be a supernumerary choose effective November 26, 2022.

Maegen Giltrow, K.C., Partner at Ratcliff LLP in North Vancouver, is appointed a Choose of the Supreme Courtroom of British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Giltrow replaces Justice G. Macintosh (Vancouver), who retired efficient April 30, 2023.

Karrie Anne Wolfe, K.C., Lawful Counsel at the Legal Companies Department, Ministry of Attorney Normal of British Columbia in Victoria, is appointed a Decide of the Supreme Court docket of British Columbia in Victoria. Justice Wolfe replaces Justice R.D. Punnett (Prince Rupert), who elected to turn into a supernumerary decide efficient July 23, 2022. Because of to interior court docket transfers by the Main Justice, the emptiness is situated in Victoria.

Y. Liliane Bantourakis, Crown Counsel at the British Columbia Prosecution Service in Vancouver, is appointed a Decide of the Supreme Court docket of British Columbia in New Westminster. Justice Bantourakis replaces Justice P.W. Walker (Vancouver), who elected to develop into a supernumerary choose efficient June 18, 2023. The Main Justice has transferred Justice B. Elwood (New Westminster) into this emptiness. The vacancy is hence situated in New Westminster.

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“I want Justices Sukstorf, Greenwood, Giltrow, Wolfe, and Bantourakis every single success as they just take on their new part. I am confident they will provide the men and women of  British Columbia well as  users of the Supreme Court docket of British Columbia.”

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Legal professional Standard of Canada

Biographies

Justice Sandra Sukstorf completed her Master of Rules from Queen’s College (2012) and a Learn of Defence Studies from the Royal Armed forces Faculty of Canada (RMCC) (2012) to increase a Bachelor of Guidelines from Dalhousie College (1998), and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Commerce) from the RMCC (1986).

Justice Sukstorf is a military services veteran who most just lately served as a military choose (2017-2024) presiding in excess of courts martial throughout Canada. Originally a authorized officer in the Office of the Choose Advocate Common (OJAG) of the Canadian Armed Forces, she later assumed a critical function handling the Investigations, Checking and Enforcement section at the Legislation Modern society of British Columbia. Throughout her lawful occupation with the OJAG, she shown knowledge in military services discipline, domestic and international prison, and maritime law, contracting and agreements. Her specialised knowledge of maritime and global felony legislation proved instrumental in addressing legal troubles associated to navy functions of the Royal Canadian Navy. Notably, she was 1 of the inaugural lawful advisers in the Copenhagen-convened legal operating team for the Get hold of Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Justice Sukstorf’s committed provider was recognized with her induction as an Officer into the Order of Armed forces Benefit and the receipt of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Justice Christopher Greenwood was born and elevated in Vancouver. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of British Columbia in 1989. Just after a short interval of vacation, functioning as a letter provider, and operating on a business enterprise with his brother, he attended law faculty at McGill College and received an LL.B. in 1996. He was referred to as to the bar in British Columbia in 1997 and to the bar of the Northwest Territories in 2009 and 2010.

Justice Greenwood started his vocation with the Office of Justice Canada and has worked at what is now the Community Prosecution Company of Canada due to the fact September 1997. In the course of that time, he acquired a broad assortment of experience conducting trial and appeals, as effectively as furnishing information on sophisticated investigations. His practice bundled prolonged prosecutions involving prison organizations, intricate wiretap circumstances, and national security files. He represented the crown on a lot of appeals, showing in the British Columbia Courtroom of Charm and the Supreme Court docket of Canada. He appeared in intricate cases as effectively as travelling to and conducting court proceedings in many remote communities.

In the course of his time in the PPSC, Justice Greenwood was a member of the National Litigation Committee, Prosecution Plan Committee, and B.C. appeals committee. He appeared routinely as an instructor for the PPSC, and as a visitor speaker for the Canadian Bar Affiliation, Continuing Authorized Schooling Modern society of B.C., and other businesses.

Justice Maegen Giltrow, K.C., was born and lifted in Port Moody. She acquired a Bachelor of Arts in English and Anthropology from Simon Fraser College in 1999 and a Bachelor of Legal guidelines from Dalhousie College in 2003.

Justice Giltrow served as a law clerk to Justices Rowles and Southin of the British Columbia Courtroom of Enchantment before articling underneath Greg McDade, QC at Ratcliff and Corporation LLP in Vancouver, where she has continued to observe, most just lately serving as direct of the Indigenous Law Team. Her lawful occupation has focused on working for 1st Nations, mostly in Aboriginal and treaty legal rights litigation, as perfectly as Indigenous child welfare matters. She has acted as counsel in precedent setting Aboriginal and treaty rights trials, appeals and judicial testimonials. Outside of Aboriginal law, she has represented landowners, farmers and local governments in normal useful resource disputes and regulatory hearings, and has acted as pro bono counsel in community curiosity Charter rights cases. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2021.

Justice Giltrow has served as an elected member of the Vancity Credit history Union Board of Administrators, and was a founding Director of the Pacific Centre for Environmental Regulation and Litigation and of the Kilala Lelum Urban Indigenous Health and fitness and Therapeutic Cooperative in Vancouver. She is also a earlier Director of the Savary Island Land Rely on.

Justice Giltrow turns to sporting activities for fun and relaxation, and higher than all, she enjoys touring and paying out time with her spouse George and their daughter Sonja.

Justice Karrie Anne Wolfe, K.C., was born and elevated in Kitchener. She gained an Honours B.A. (Higher Distinction) from the University of Toronto in 2000 and a J.D. from the College of Victoria in 2004. In the course of legislation college, she acquired awards for tutorial achievement and local community involvement, and completed three formative co-op terms. She was termed to the BC bar in Could 2005.

Justice Wolfe articled with the Legal Services Department of the BC Ministry of Lawyer Standard exactly where she expended most of her lawful profession as a barrister, specializing in constitutional and administrative litigation. She has a wide variety of community legislation working experience, acquiring appeared at all degrees of court docket in British Columbia and at the Supreme Courtroom of Canada, most lately in situations involving minority language instruction rights. Her authorized follow has also involved constitutional thoughts, supervisory roles, solicitor’s operate, and information to assistance equally administrative selection-earning and reconciliation. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2023.

Justice Wolfe was a member of the editorial board and a contributing author to the Continuing Legal Schooling Culture of British Columbia (CLEBC) Administrative Legislation Observe Manual. She has been a frequent contributor to many lawful training packages all over her job. She regularly volunteered as a follow judge for moots and also visitor lectures at the College of Victoria’s Faculty of Regulation, generally in administrative regulation and advocacy. She designs lights for neighborhood theatre and has served on the boards of various arts companies, which include Intrepid Theatre and Lawyers on Phase Theatre.

Justice Wolfe and her husband, Todd Ayotte, are the happy mom and dad of Joshua.  

Justice Y. Liliane Bantourakis was born to Greek and Franco-Ontarian mom and dad. She acquired her undergraduate degree (B.A. Hons.) from the College of British Columbia and her law levels (LL.B. & B.C.L.) from McGill College, graduating as the Aimé Geoffrion gold medalist.

Justice Bantourakis is fluently bilingual and has pleaded circumstances in both of those of Canada’s formal languages. Immediately after a clerkship at the Supreme Courtroom of Canada for McLachlin, C.J.C., she joined the Office of Justice Canada in Vancouver, sooner or later getting Senior Counsel and Special Advisor to the Regional Director Standard. There, she had a elaborate civil, administrative, and constitutional regulation apply. She later joined the B.C. Prosecution Company as felony appeals Crown Counsel, specializing in criminal regulation and appellate advocacy. A profession litigator, she has appeared in advance of all levels of the British Columbia and Federal Courts and the Supreme Courtroom of Canada.

Justice Bantourakis has been an advocacy advisor and British Columbia Regional Committee member for the Supreme Courtroom Advocacy Institute and has spoken on a assortment of public law subject areas at conferences and continuing authorized education and learning functions.

Justice Bantourakis grew up in Québec, Ontario and abroad, but has lengthy known as British Columbia household. She lives in Vancouver with her partner and son, surrounded by near family and cherished pals.