Department of Justice

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY JUDGES
TO THE NUNAVUT COURT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, March 25, 1999 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the appointments of deputy judges to the Nunavut Court of Justice.

The present appointments of deputy judges will help ensure a smooth transition for the justice system of the new territory. This supplementary contingent of Nunavut judges will be extremely important, especially in the transitional period after April 1, 1999. Deputy judges are named under the Nunavut Act from among the present and retired superior court judges of Canada

Associate Chief Justice Allan H. Wachowich of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Associate Chief Justice Wachowich was appointed to the District Court of Alberta in 1974 and to the Court of Queen's Bench in 1979. He was appointed Associate Chief Justice of that court in 1993. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he practised law with the firm of Kosowan and Wachowich in Edmonton.

Mr. Justice Calvin F. Tallis of Regina, a Judge of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Mr. Justice Tallis was appointed to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in 1973 and to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in 1981. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he practised law in Saskatoon with the firm of Goldenberg, Taylor & Tallis.

Mr. Justice John D. O'Flynn of Picton, a supernumerary judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division) is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1976, Mr. Justice O’Flynn practised law in Belleville with the firm of O’Flynn & Weese.

Madam Justice Mary M. Hetherington of Calgary, a supernumerary judge of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Madam Justice Hetherington was appointed a judge of the District Court of Alberta in 1978 and became a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench in 1979. She was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1985.

Mr. Justice René P. Foisy of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Mr. Justice Foisy was appointed to the District Court of Alberta in 1979 and later that year to the Court of Queen's Bench. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1986. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he practised law in St. Paul with the firm of Foisy & Holeton.

Mr. Justice Arthur M. Lutz of Calgary, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1982, Mr. Justice Lutz had practised law with the firm of Lutz, Westerberg, O'Leary, Fenerty, Belland and MacDonald in Calgary.

Mr. Justice Michel A. Monnin of Winnipeg, a judge of the Manitoba Court of Appeal, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Mr. Justice Monnin was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench in 1984, and elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1995. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he practised law in Winnipeg with the firm of Teffaine, Monnin, Hogue, Teillet & Sharp.

Mr. Justice Alan T. Cooke of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1986, Mr. Justice Cooke practised law with the firm of Cooke, Shandling in Edmonton.

Mr. Justice W. Dan Chilcott of Ottawa, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division), is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1988, Mr. Justice Chilcott practised law with the firm of Binks, Chilcott and Simpson in Ottawa.

Madam Justice Louise V. Charron of Toronto, a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Madam Justice Charron was appointed to the District Court of Ontario in 1988, to the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division) in 1990 and to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1995. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she had mainly practised criminal law.

Mr. Justice Lawrence R. Morin of Windsor, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division), is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1989, Mr. Justice Morin practised law in Windsor with the firm of Brockenshire and Morin.

Mr. Justice Peter T. Costigan of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1994, Mr. Justice Costigan had mainly practised constitutional law, employment law, insurance law and municipal law with the firm of Brownlee, Fryett in Edmonton.

Mr. Justice C. Philip Clarke of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1995, Mr. Justice Clarke practised civil litigation with the firm of Field & Field, Perraton in Edmonton.

Madam Justice Brenda L. Keyser of Winnipeg, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Madam Justice Keyser practised criminal law and Aboriginal law with the firm of Keyser, Harris.

Mr. Justice R. Paul Belzil of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1995, Mr. Justice Belzil practised civil litigation with the firm of Chatwin, Belzil.

Mr. Justice Sterling M. Sanderman of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in June 1996, Mr. Justice Sanderman has practised criminal litigation with the firm of Brimacombe, Sanderman, Stroppel and Finlayson in Edmonton.

Mr. Justice John A. Menzies of Brandon, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointments to the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, Family Division, in 1996 and to the Court of Queen's Bench in 1998, Mr. Justice Menzies practised criminal and civil litigation as well as family law with the firm of Johnson & Company in Dauphin.

Mr. Justice Brian R. Burrows of Edmonton, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1998, Mr. Justice Burrows practised law in Edmonton with the firm of McLennan, Ross.

Mr. Justice Peter W. L. Martin of Calgary, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1998, Mr. Justice Martin practised criminal, environmental and Aboriginal law with the firm of Evans, Martin, Wilson in Calgary.

Madam Justice Laurie P. Allen of Winnipeg, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba (Family Division) is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Madam Justice Allen practised civil litigation, family law and child protection law with the firm of Cherniack, Allen in Winnipeg.

The Honourable Mark M. de Weerdt of Vancouver, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a deputy judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1996, Mr. de Weerdt had been Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories since 1981.

These appointments are effective April 1, 1999.

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