BRITISH COLUMBIA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, November 26, 2004 – Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

Robert Johnston Q.C., of Victoria is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He will be assigned to Vancouver-New Westminster by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Justice Johnston received a Bachelor of laws from the University of Western Ontario in 1971, and was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1972. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Justice Johnston was a partner with the firm of Cox Taylor in Victoria, where he practised in the areas of civil and criminal litigation.

In the past, Mr. Justice Johnston was Treasurer of the Law Society of British Columbia and Executive of the Victoria Bar Association. He also served as Director and Chair of the Legal Services Society of British Columbia, and as an elected member of the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Bar Association. As well, he was a member of the Victoria legal aid committee.

David J. Brine Q.C., of Vancouver, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He will be assigned to Vancouver-New Westminster by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Justice Brine received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1973, and a Masters in Law from King’s College at the University of London in 1974. He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1975, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2000.

Since 2001, Mr. Justice Brine was Master at the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Prior to that, he was a partner in the firm of McQuarrie Hunter, where he practised primarily in the area of civil litigation.

Mr. Justice Brine has been President of the New Westminster Bar Association and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation of British Columbia. In addition, he was a member of the Executive of the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. He has also been an instructor at the Professional Legal Training Program.

Arne H. Silverman Q.C., of Richmond , is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He will be assigned to Vancouver-New Westminster by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Justice Silverman received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1973, and a Masters of Law from the London School of Economics in 1974. He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1975, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Justice Silverman was a sole practitioner and concentrated primarily in the areas of criminal and immigration law.

In the past, he has been a volunteer lawyer at the Carnegie Center Pro bono clinic as well as an instructor with the Continuing Legal Education. He has also been an instructor at the Professional Legal Training Program.

Barbara Fisher, of Vancouver, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. She will be assigned to Vancouver-New Westminster by the Chief Justice.

Madam Justice Fisher received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 1981, and was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1983.

At the time of her appointment, she was with the firm of Blake, Cassels & Graydon, where she practiced primarily in the areas of administrative and aboriginal law, as well as litigation, mediation and negotiation. Prior to that, she served as British Columbia Treaty Commissioner, General Counsel with the Ombudsman for British Columbia, as well General Counsel with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia.

In the past, Madam Justice Fisher was Chair of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Society of British Columbia, Chair of the Hospital Appeals Board, member of the Forest Appeals Commission, as well as a member of the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Bar Association. She has also been an instructor at the University of British Columbia Law School.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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