She becomes the 28th full-time provincial court judge in the province
New Brunswick justice minister Robert McKee has announced the appointment of Renée Roy to the New Brunswick Provincial Court bench in Moncton.
Roy becomes the 28th full-time provincial court judge in the province. Before the appointment, she was a Crown prosecutor in the specialized prosecutions unit.
“Ensuring access to an impartial and effective justice system for the people of New Brunswick is an essential responsibility of government. Renée Roy is highly qualified and has demonstrated a strong commitment to justice throughout her career. Her attributes will serve our province well and I wish her every success in her new role,” McKee said in a statement.
Roy holds bachelor’s degrees in criminology and psychology from St. Thomas University. She obtained her bachelor of laws from Université de Moncton in 2010.
She was a private practitioner before transitioning to the Crown prosecutor role.
McKee announced Roy’s appointment on September 18. She joins a group of judges that includes New Brunswick Provincial Court chief judge Brian C. McLean and associate chief judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc.
Canada justice department deputy regional director and senior counsel Ami Assignon was also appointed to the Provincial Court in Moncton in July. Presently, the court has one supernumerary judge and 10 per diem judges.
Candidates for Provincial Court appointments are first evaluated by provincial judicial appointment review advisors representing the bench, the bar, and the general public. These advisors examine candidates’ qualifications, both professional and otherwise.
Candidates are then interviewed by a committee comprising the New Brunswick chief justice, the provincial court’s chief judge and/or associate chief judge, and one provincial judicial appointment review advisor acting for the general public.
In April, the New Brunswick government introduced centralized virtual bail hearings. It was rolled out in Fredericton and Woodstock, with expansion planned for Moncton. The move was intended to free up for physical courtroom space for trials and other matters.
Last September, Crown counsels in New Brunswick achieved pay parity with the New Brunswick Crown Prosecutors Group in a watershed five-year collective agreement ratified by the group. The agreement also covered considerable wage grid improvements and market adjustments reflecting the value of Crown counsels’ work.
