Legal Feeds Blog

Monday, 27 June 2011 10:56

Six new judicial appointments

The federal government announced six judicial appointments across the country late Friday afternoon.

In Quebec, Charles Ouellet joins the Superior Court bench. He has been a partner at Cain Lamarre Casgrain Wells LLP in Sherbrooke, Que., since 2008 and had practised at three other firms in the city previous to that. His main areas of practice were civil litigation related to contract, insurance, and commercial law.

In Ontario, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson appointed Kenneth Campbell of the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Crown law office to replace Justice Joan Lax on the Superior Court bench in Toronto. Lax became a supernumerary judge on Jan. 1. Campbell, who previously worked at Justice Canada, has been director of the Crown law office’s civil section since 2005.

Also becoming an Ontario Superior Court judge is Bruce Fitzpatrick, a lawyer with Lockington Lawless Fitzpatrick LLP in Peterborough, Ont. He takes a position in Thunder Bay, Ont., as a replacement for Justice Bonnie Warkentin, who has moved to Ottawa to take the place of Justice Colin D.A. McKinnon. McKinnon became a supernumerary judge on Feb. 20.

In Alberta, provincial court Justice Barbara Velduis moves up to the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary. Prior to joining the bench, she served in various roles at both Justice Canada and Alberta Justice following a career in private practice. She replaces Justice P.J. McIntyre, who became a supernumerary judge on April 23.

Finally, The British Columbia Supreme Court has two new judges. Justice Douglas Betton of the provincial court in Vernon, B.C., takes on his new role in Kelowna. He has been on the provincial court bench since 2007.

In Vancouver, Kenneth Affleck leaves the firm he joined in February, Affleck Hira Burgoyne LLP, for his new position on the B.C. Supreme Court bench. He previously had a long career at Macaulay McColl.