Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Alberta

April 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Office of Justice Canada  

The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney Standard of Canada, now introduced the following appointments beneath the judicial software procedure set up in 2016. This system emphasizes transparency, advantage, and the variety of the Canadian populace, and will continue on to guarantee the appointment of jurists who meet up with the best expectations of excellence and integrity.

The Honourable Tamara Friesen, a Justice of the Court docket of King’s Bench of Alberta, is appointed a Justice of Attractiveness of the Court docket of Appeal of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice Friesen replaces Justice F.L. Schutz (Edmonton), who resigned powerful October 12, 2023.

The Honourable Joshua B. Hawkes, a Choose of the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Courtroom of Charm of Alberta in Calgary. Justice Hawkes replaces Justice B.L. Veldhuis (Calgary), who retired powerful May well 1, 2023.

Maureen J. McGuire, K.C., Counsel at the Community Prosecution Provider of Canada in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice McGuire replaces Justice R.P. Belzil (Edmonton), who elected to turn out to be a supernumerary judge effective December 31, 2023.

Kelsey L. Brookes, Associate at Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice Brookes replaces Justice T. Friesen (Edmonton) who was elevated to the Court of Enchantment of Alberta effective April 12, 2024.

Shane Parker, K.C., Senior Prosecutor at the Alberta Crown Prosecution Company in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary. Justice Parker replaces Justice K.D. Yamauchi (Calgary), who elected to turn into a supernumerary judge productive December 13, 2022.

M. Oliver Ho, Associate at Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary. Justice Ho replaces Justice D.B. Nixon (Calgary), who was elevated to the place of Affiliate Main Justice of the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta efficient Oct 5, 2023.

Derek Jugnauth, Husband or wife at Wolch Wilson Jugnauth in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court docket of King’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary. Justice Jugnauth replaces Justice A. Woolley (Calgary), who was elevated to the Court of Enchantment of Alberta helpful October 20, 2023.

Quotation

“I desire Justices Friesen, Hawkes, McGuire, Brookes, Parker, Ho, and Jugnauth every success as they just take on their new roles. I am self-assured they will serve Albertans nicely as customers of the Court of Attractiveness and the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta.”

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney Basic of Canada

Biographies

Justice Tamara Friesen was appointed to the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta in 2019. She attended the University of Alberta for her undergraduate diploma and obtained an M.A from the University of Guelph in 1997. She researched regulation at the College of Alberta and clerked with both equally the Alberta Court docket of Attractiveness and Courtroom of King’s Bench ahead of becoming referred to as to the Alberta Bar in 2002.

Justice Friesen practiced criminal legislation as a Crown prosecutor for Alberta Justice from 2002 to 2010, where by she labored in every of the Typical, Specialized, and Appellate branches. Her authorized vocation involved positions as lawful counsel with the Regulation Modern society of Alberta and as a Director of Lawful Research and Crafting at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. From 2013 to 2019, she practiced labour, employment, constitutional and administrative legislation at Nugent Legislation Place of work. She has appeared right before a wide variety of administrative tribunals and at all amounts of court, including showing up at the Supreme Court docket of Canada.

Justice Joshua B. Hawkes attained his LLB from the College of Alberta in 1990. He was referred to as to the Alberta Bar in 1991.

Justice Hawkes was appointed to the Alberta Courtroom of Justice in 2017 and was named Assistant Main Justice for the Calgary Criminal and Regional Division of that courtroom in 2020. He is committed to continuing judicial schooling, having served the two as the Chair of the Canadian Affiliation of Provincial Court docket Judges’ Committee on the Law, and as a faculty member at the nationwide Newly Appointed Provincial and Territorial Judges’ Competencies Seminar. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he had in depth practical experience in legal appellate law as appellate counsel, and later as the Director and subsequently Govt Director above what was then the Appeals, Education and learning and Prosecution Policy Department of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Company. In those capacities he appeared routinely in the Alberta Court of Attractiveness and Supreme Court docket of Canada.

Justice Hawkes was actively included in regulation reform, getting served for 20 a long time as Alberta’s Jurisdictional Consultant to the Legal Regulation part of the Uniform Legislation Convention of Canada, and afterwards as the Chair of that part, and, lastly, as President of the Convention.  He served on the executive of the Nationwide Prison Legislation area of the Canadian Bar Affiliation, and as an elected Bencher with the Regulation Culture of Alberta.

Justice Hawkes was 1 of the 1st customers of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Assistance with a important physical disability. He will take satisfaction in his determination to improve entry to justice and accessibility in the justice system, and to add to making that system much more consultant of the local community it serves.

Justice Maureen J. McGuire, K.C., retains a B.A. (1990) from Wilfrid Laurier College, and an LL.B. (1997) from University of Manitoba. She was referred to as to the bar in Ontario in 1999, in the Northwest Territories in 2006, and in Alberta in 2010. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2020. 

At the time of her appointment to the Courtroom of King’s Bench of Alberta, Justice McGuire was a Crown Counsel with the General public Prosecution Company of Canada in Edmonton. She has in depth criminal demo and appellate experience, having practiced both equally as a defence counsel and as a prosecutor. She began her lawful vocation with the prison defence agency, Gold & Fuerst, in Toronto. In 2006, she joined the Community Prosecution Service in Yellowknife, the place her function included circumstances in compact communities throughout the Northwest Territories. Following a brief return to Toronto, she expended the previous 14 several years working towards in Edmonton. She has been a counsel in several legally significant conditions right before the Alberta Courtroom of Attractiveness and the Supreme Courtroom of Canada.  

Justice McGuire has been a sessional teacher at the University of Alberta, School of Legislation considering that 2010, instructing Authorized Study and Creating, and Appellate Practice and Treatment. She has volunteered with a number of charitable companies, such as Habitat for Humanity, LitFest Alberta, and Wellspring Alberta.  She is a sturdy advocate for continuing authorized education and consistently contributes her time as a speaker or facilitator in specialist growth courses.

Justice Kelsey L. Brookes been given her Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the College of Alberta in 1996 and graduated with a Bachelor of Rules with Distinction from the University of Alberta in 1999.  She was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 2000. 

Justice Brookes begun as an associate with Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP in 2000. In excess of the subsequent 24 years, she formulated a exercise in the space of Municipal Law and Employment Legislation. As Co-Chair of the firm’s Municipal Legislation staff, she offered information to city and rural municipalities on Council difficulties, municipal elections, planning and development, tax recovery, enforcement, bylaws, pecuniary interests, Codes of Carry out, expropriation, inter-municipal disputes and evaluation. In addition, she helped municipalities with the much more classic troubles confronted by all businesses, including litigation and employment troubles.

Justice Brookes was especially interested in setting up and growth and operating with Subdivision and Enhancement Charm Boards and has taught and lectured extensively on the subject matter, like educating Scheduling Law at the College of Alberta in the University of City and Regional Arranging for 6 decades.

Justice Brookes enjoys paying time with her husband, four young children, a person grandchild, and two dogs in Alberta and British Columbia.  She is a devoted runner, but dabbles in biking, swimming, and cross-state snowboarding when time permits.

Justice Shane Parker, K.C., obtained his Bachelor of Science with a significant in Kinesiology from the College of Waterloo, his MPE from College of New Brunswick, and his LL.B. from Dalhousie Law Faculty in 2000. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Culture in 2001 and Legislation Culture of Alberta in 2006.

Justice Parker was a Senior Prosecutor with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Services based mostly in Calgary. He took on significant-profile and complicated homicides. Previously, he was a Specific Prosecutor for 7 yrs in the Organized Crime Unit. He has prosecuted in Nova Scotia, and practiced with the criminal company, Pink Murray Graham in Halifax. He was selected King’s Counsel in 2013 and was inducted as a Fellow in the American University of Demo Attorneys in 2018 and labored on many of their committees. 

Justice Parker was a contributing author in the felony law textbook, “From Crime to Punishment”.  He was the founder of the Alberta Prosecution Service’s intensive wiretap training training course and lectured on look for and seizure legislation.

Justice Parker coached college and junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. He and his wife, Frances, are quite proud of their adult sons Jackson, Keegan and Cole. 

Justice M. Oliver Ho is a born and elevated Calgarian. He attained his B.A. and LL. B concurrently in 2002, and his MBA in 2016, from the College of Calgary. He was termed to the Alberta bar in 2003, and the Ontario bar in 2022.

Justice Ho commenced his profession at Gowlings but put in the future almost 20 many years working towards at JSS Barristers, like numerous yrs on JSS Barristers’ Government Committee and a term as JSS Barristers’ Managing Spouse. Justice Ho’s observe incorporated a huge variety of professional disputes, shareholders disputes, and estate litigation.

Justice Ho is passionate about sharing his time with a range of communities that are close to him. He has been an active volunteer with the Legal Archives Society of Alberta, the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Professional Bono Law Alberta, the Calgary Zoo, the University of Calgary, a range of area good arts corporations, and has been a mentor to many legislation college students and attorneys. In 2020, he was awarded The Advocates’ Culture Alberta Excellence in Mentoring Award. He has been acknowledged by publications such as Lexpert, Benchmark Litigation, and Ideal Lawyers.

Justice Ho enjoys operating, producing songs, travelling, and over all else spending time with his excellent spouse and their pretty children.

Justice Derek Jugnauth remains permanently happy of his little-town Saskatchewan heritage, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1997. Adhering to ten a long time with a single of the world’s foremost technology and consulting corporations, he adjusted course in 2007 to go after his extensive-held desire of turning into a trial attorney. He acquired his regulation diploma from the University of Calgary in 2011 the place he graduated with a host of academic awards, scholarships, and achievements. He was termed to the Alberta bar in 2012.

Justice Jugnauth concluded his article content with the national company of Blakes Cassels & Graydon LLP following clerking for the Court of King’s Bench. He commenced his profession as a criminal defence barrister less than the tutelage of the legendary Hersh Wolch K.C. and alongside business heavyweight Willie deWit K.C. (now of the Alberta Court of Appeal). Immediately after Hersh’s premature passing in 2017, he assisted to carry the torch of his legacy by continuing the organization in his name continuing to depict customers billed in some of Alberta’s major and most advanced felony investigations and passing on the accrued wisdom of the business by mentoring other lawyers recently into their careers.

Justice Jugnauth and his spouse appreciate living in Calgary with their two excellent children and two delightful pet dogs. When not at the place of work, he can be discovered volunteering on the Board of Directors for the KidZinc University Age Treatment Modern society of Alberta functioning his little ones to their several sporting activities and routines walking the pups and taking advantage of Alberta’s extraordinary outdoor.