Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Alberta

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Ola Malik, a lawyer at the City of Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Mr. Justice Malik replaces Mr. Justice E.C. Wilson (Calgary), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective May 11, 2020.

Quote

"I wish Justice Ola Malik every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve Albertans well as a member of the Court of Queen's Bench."

—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Ola Malik was born in Calgary, Alberta. He is bilingual and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Calgary and an M.A. in European Politics and Administration at the College D'Europe in Bruges, Belgium. He went on to earn his LL.B. at King's College, University of London, and was then called as a Member of Lincoln's Inn to the Bar of England and Wales. He completed his studies at the Schulich School of Law, where he received his LL.M.  

Mr. Justice Malik returned to Calgary, where he entered private practice after being called to the Alberta Bar in 2002. Since 2008, Justice Malik has been a lawyer in the Legal Services department at the City of Calgary, where he has practised in the areas of prosecutions, regulatory law, and Charter litigation. He has written on cases involving Charter issues, including the limits to freedom of expression in the context of public protests, and is often asked to speak on developments in the field of municipal prosecutions. 

Justice Malik is a strong believer in giving back to community, and he has been deeply involved with professional organizations, notably the Canadian Bar Association, Calgary Legal Guidance, and the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. In 2019-20, he served as the President of the Canadian Bar Association for Alberta. Justice Malik is deeply committed to understanding the challenges that many of our most vulnerable and marginalized communities face and to improving the administration of justice so these communities can be better served.

Quick Facts

• At the Superior Court level, more than 400 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• In addition, Budget 2018 provides funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For more information, media may contact: Rachel Rappaport, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations: Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]