Department of Justice

BRITISH COLUMBIA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 17, 2001 - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Allan D. Thackray of the British Columbia Supreme Court is appointed a Judge of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. He replaces the Honourable L.S.G. Finch who was appointed Chief Justice of British Columbia.

Mr. Justice Thackray received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1958. He was appointed to the British Columbia Supreme Court in 1990.

Geoffrey Michael Barrow of Kamloops is appointed a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court. He replaces Mr. Justice M. Macaulay who was transferred to Victoria following the election of supernumerary status by Mr. Justice D.D. Owen-Flood.

Mr. Justice Barrow received a Bachelor of Laws from University of Victoria in 1980, and was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1981. He practiced with the Quenel firm of Coffey Quinn and Barrow where he remained until 1986, at which time he joined the Ministry of Attorney General of British Colmbia in Quenel. In 1989, he became Administrative Crown Counsel in Kamloops where, at the time of his appointment, he was Regional Crown Counsel responsible for the supervision of criminal prosecutions and the administration of Crown offices in southeast British Columbia.

Peter J. Rogers of Kamloops is appointed a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court. He replaces Mr. Justice K.J. Smith who was appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

Mr. Justice Rogers received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1981, and was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1982. He began practice with the Prince George firm of Wilson King & Company, becoming a partner in 1987. At the time of his appointment, he was with Gillespie Renkema Barnett Broadway in Kamloops. Throughout his career, Mr. Justice Rogers has practiced primarily in the area of civil litigation including contract, personal injury and estate matters. In addition to having appeared before both the trial and appellate courts of British Columbia, Mr. Justice Rogers has experience before administrative tribunals and in mediation.

Harvey M. Groberman, Q.C., of Victoria is appointed a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court. He replaces Mr. Justice C.W. Wilkinson who resigned his position.

Mr. Justice Groberman received his law degree from the University of Toronto in 1982, and after completing a Masters in Letters in Law at Oxford University, England, he was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1985. He began practice as a general civil litigator with the Legal Services Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General of British Columbia where, over the course of his career, he specialized in matters of constitutional and administrative law. In 2000, Mr. Justice Groberman joined the Vancouver firm of Davis & Company. He has been a Sessional Lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria and, at the time of his appointment, was a member of the Executive of the Victoria Bar Association.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.: Farah Mohamed
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621