OTTAWA, October 30, 2003 -- The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

William F. Ehrcke, Q.C., of Vancouver is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He will be assigned by the Chief Justice to Vancouver and will replace Mr. Justice P.D. Lowry who was appointed to the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Justice Ehrcke received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 1978, and also holds a Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Calgary. He was admitted to the Law Society of British Columbia in 1980, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1998.

Since 1987, he was an appellate counsel with the Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia. Prior to that, he had been a crown counsel since 1981.

At the time of his appointment, Mr. Justice Ehrcke was a member of the Credentials Committee of the Law Society of British Columbia where he had been active for many years. He was also an active member of the Canadian Bar Association and has been a member of its Supreme Court of Canada Liaison Committee. As well, he was a member of the Society for the Reform of Criminal Law.

Mr. Justice Ehrcke has also been an Instructor of several courses at the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, and is the author and co-author of several legal publications.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref.: Catherine Gagnaire
Press Secretary
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621