ALBERTA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 12, 2002 -- The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

Karen M. Horner of Calgary is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.  She replaces Mr. Justice J.S. Moore who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Madam Justice Horner received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1980, and was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta in 1981.

At the time of her appointment, she was a partner with the firm Bennett Jones LLP, in Calgary, practicing primarily in commercial and civil litigation with particular experience in insolvency matters.  She has also appeared on behalf of clients at arbitrations and other hearings of a quasi-judicial nature.

Throughout her career, Madam Justice Horner has been a presenter at professional seminars and legal education programs including having been a lecturer at the Alberta Bar Admission Course.  She is a past Chair of the Insolvency Section of the Alberta Branch of the Canadian Bar Association.

This appointment is effective immediately.

- 30 -

Ref.:    

Mike Murphy
Special Assistant - Communications
Minister’s Office
(613) 992-4621