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

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments 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.

Kathryn H. Oviatt, K.C., Chief of the Commission and Tribunals at the Alberta Human Rights Commission in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice Oviatt fills one of the three new positions authorized under Bill C-74 (2018) in Edmonton.

Kristan A. McLeod, Managing Partner at Chivers Carpenter Lawyers in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice McLeod replaces Justice K.H. Davidson (Edmonton), who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta effective June 20, 2024.

Shannon W. Davis, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service in Grande Prairie, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Grande Prairie. Justice Davis fills one of the three new positions authorized under Bill C-74 (2018) in Grande Prairie.  

Quote

"I wish Justices Oviatt, McLeod, and Davis every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Albertans well as members of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta."

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biographies

Justice Kathryn H. Oviatt, K.C., was born in Edmonton. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in 2001 and a Law degree with distinction in 2005, both from the University of Alberta. She was called to the Alberta Bar in 2006.

Early in her career, Justice Oviatt worked as legal counsel to the Court of King's Bench of Alberta before practicing primarily in administrative law. She also has experience in civil litigation and family law legal research and writing, and in criminal law from her time as an ad hoc Crown prosecutor. Since 2015, she has been practicing exclusively as a neutral adjudicator. She served as a labour arbitrator and on many quasi-judicial tribunals. She has published over 160 decisions, many of which are leading cases in Alberta human rights law. She was appointed King's Counsel in 2024.

Justice Oviatt is deeply committed to human rights and equality. She served on the Alberta Human Rights Commission for almost a decade and was the first female Chief of the Commission and Tribunals in almost 40 years. She sat as a co-chair of the Commission's Indigenous Advisory Circle and led the Commission's reconciliation efforts, including in implementing Indigenous ceremony and spiritual practices into the complaint process. She has spoken extensively across the province promoting equality and human rights.

Justice Oviatt is an avid outdoors enthusiast and devoted parent. 

Justice Kristan A. McLeod was born in Winnipeg and spent her childhood in several cities in Canada including Edmonton. She received a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 and a Master of Arts in 1994, both from the University of Alberta. She worked in arts marketing and software as a technical writer, trainer, and business analyst. She returned to the University of Alberta for her L.L.B., graduating in 2004 with distinction. She clerked with the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of King's Bench. She completed her articles with Field LLP and was called to the Alberta bar in 2006 and the Northwest Territories bar in 2007.

Justice McLeod started practising with Chivers Carpenter Lawyers in 2008, focusing on labour, employment, human rights, constitutional, and professional regulatory law. She became a partner in 2011 and the managing partner in 2017. She has been active in the profession, presenting at various conferences about developments in her areas of practice. She has also coached the University of Alberta's labour arbitration moot team for many years and volunteered for community organizations.

Justice McLeod and her spouse love spending time with their three adult children of whom they're exceptionally proud, and their two poorly behaved dogs of whom they're occasionally embarrassed. She also likes to stay active, attend live music and comedy shows, and head to the lake or mountains when she gets the chance.

Justice Shannon W. Davis was born and raised in Grand Falls-Windsor. He attended the University of New Brunswick earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology in 2004 and a Bachelor of Laws in 2007. He completed his articles with the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Justice and was called to the bar of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2008.

After joining Alberta Justice in 2008, Justice Davis relocated to Grande Prairie. He worked as a front-line prosecutor until he accepted the position of Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor of the Grande Prairie office in 2022.

Justice Davis has served on various boards and committees, including the Alberta Justice Mental Health Committee, the Alberta Justice Impaired Driving Advisory Committee, the Grande Prairie Drug Treatment Court Leadership Committee, and the Caribou Child and Youth Centre Leadership Committee. He also served as a prosecutor liaison for the Alberta Victim Services redesign.

Justice Davis enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading and travelling with his wife and daughter.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 825 judges since November 2015. This includes 202 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian history. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provided for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• 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.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Deputy Director, Communications, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]