Department of Justice

ALBERTA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 20, 1995 -- The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Allan Rock, today announced the following appointments:

J. Richard Philippe Marceau, Q.C., of Peace River is appointed a judge of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench in Edmonton. He replaces the late Mr. Justice Y. Roslak.

Mr. Justice Marceau graduated in law from the University of Alberta in 1966, and was called to the Bar of Alberta in 1967. He practised general law in Peace River until 1975, when he was appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta. He resigned in 1979, and has since been practising civil and criminal litigation with the firm Marceau, Mathieu, Hryniuk, Shynkar & Erickson.

Mr. Justice Marceau has been a member of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and of l'Association des Juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta.

Paul R. Belzil of Edmonton is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. He replaces Mr. Justice V.W.M. Smith, who has chosen to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice Belzil graduated in law from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1977. He was called to the Bar of Alberta in 1978 and to the Bar of the Northwest Territories in 1983. Mr. Justice Belzil has been a partner with Chatwin, Belzil, and has practised primarily in the area of civil litigation with emphasis on insurance defence litigation. He also has arbitration and mediation experience.

These appointments are effective immediately.

Ref.:    Johanne Senécal
         Minister's Office
         (613) 992-4621