ALBERTA JUDICAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

Ottawa, September 18, 2006 – The Honourable Vic Toews, Q.C., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Jack Watson, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta sitting in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Alberta and a member ex officio of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and a Judge of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories. He replaces Madam Justice E.I. Picard ( Edmonton) who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice Watson received a Diploma of Graduate Studies in Law in 1995 from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1972, and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University in 1969. He was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1973. Prior to his appointment to the Bench in 2000, Mr. Justice Watson acted as a Crown Prosecutor for Justice Canada and then as Appellate Counsel for the Alberta Attorney General. Mr. Justice Watson is an active contributor to the weekly law advisory services (General Digest and Supremes Digest) and to the Alberta judicial “desktop archive” with articles relating to civil, administrative and family law.

The Honourable John David Bruce McDonald, Judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta sitting in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and a member ex officio of the Court of Appeal of Alberta. He replaces Mr. Justice R.M. Cairns ( Calgary) who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice McDonald received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1972 and a Bachelor of Arts (with distinction) from the University of Calgary in 1969 and was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1973. Before his appointment to the Provincial Court in 2004, he practised with Fenerty McGillivray and Bennett Jones and developed an expertise in civil litigation and trial and appellate advocacy.

Mr. Justice McDonald was a frequent lecturer at courses offered by the Alberta Bar Admission Program, the Legal Education Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. He was also a member of the Review Panel of the Legal Aid Society of Alberta.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Mike Storeshaw
Director of Communications
Minister’s office
613-992-4621