Department of Justice

BRITISH COLUMBIA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, June 22, 2000 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

T. Richard Brooke, Q.C. of Penticton is appointed a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court in Kelowna. Mr. Justice Brooke received his LL.B. from the University of British Columbia in 1969 and was called to the Bar of British Columbia the following year. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Justice Brooke was with the firm of Boyle & Co., Penticton, practising primarily in the areas of civil litigation and municipal law. Mr. Justice Brooke has been active in mediation and arbitration both as counsel and as mediator-arbitrator. In 1995, Mr. Justice Brooke took a leave of absence to teach law at the University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. He is a former President of the Penticton & District Bar Association and, from 1996 to 1998, served as a member of the Attorney-General's Rules Committee.

The Honourable Robert W. Metzger of Victoria is appointed a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court in Kelowna. Mr. Justice Metzger received his LL.B. from the University of British Columbia in 1973 and was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1974. Mr. Justice Metzger was first appointed to the Provincial Court of British Columbia in 1980. He became Associate Chief Judge in 1989 and, in 1995, Chief Judge of that Court. As Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Metzger served as head of the Judicial Council of British Columbia, the body concerned with the discipline of judges and justices of the peace. He was also responsible for all Provincial Court judicial education programs in British Columbia. During his time as Associate Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Metzger was the founding co-chair of the Gender Bias Committee, the first gender equality committee to be established in Canada at the provincial court level. Mr. Justice Metzger has attended the Advanced Mediation Workshop, Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Farah Mohamed
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621