OTTAWA, November 23, 2005 – Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

Peter D. Leask, Q.C., of Vancouver is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He replaces Madam Justice P.A. Kirkpatrick who was appointed to the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Justice Leask received a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1966. He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1969 and to the Yukon Bar in 1985.

At the time of his appointment, he was a partner with the firm Leask Bahen where he practised primarily in the areas of criminal and administrative law.

Mr. Justice Leask is a former Bencher, member of the executive and Treasurer of the Law Society of British Columbia. He is a current member of the Justice Review Task Force, the Street Crime Working Group, Mega Trials Working Group and is the National Chair of the Canadian Bar Associations Legal Aid Committee.

Elliott M. Myers, Q.C., of Vancouver in appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He replaces Mr. Justice B.I. Cohen who has elected supernumerary status.

Mr. Justice Myers received a graduate diploma in Social Anthropology in 1975 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1978 from Oxford University as well as an LL.B. from Dalhousie University in 1979. He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1980.

At the time of his appointment he was a partner with the firm Bull Housser Tupper where his practice was focused in the areas of commercial litigation and product liability.

Mr. Justice Myers is an associate member of the American Bar Association, a member of the International Bar Association and of the American Trial Lawyers Association. He has acted as pro bono legal counsel the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and is the author of several legal publications.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:
François Giroux
Judicial Affairs Advisor
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621