Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Alberta Français
OTTAWA, ON, April 20, 2022 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, 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.
Bob H. Aloneissi, Q.C., Partner at Aloneissi, O'Neill, Hurley, O'Keeffe, Millsap/Liberty Law LLP in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Justice Aloneissi replaces Justice D. Shelley (Edmonton), who resigned effective January 2, 2022.
Nancy M. Carruthers, Practice Advisor at the Law Society of Alberta in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Justice Carruthers replaces Justice K.M. Eidsvik (Calgary), who resigned effective February 7, 2022.
Michael A. Marion, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Justice Marion replaces Justice R.J. Hall (Calgary), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 4, 2022.
"I wish Justices Aloneissi, Carruthers and Marion every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Alberta well as members of the Court of Queen's Bench."
—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Bob H. Aloneissi, Q.C., was born and raised in Edmonton. As the son of Lebanese immigrants, he has never forgotten his humble roots. His experience of working at his family's inner city grocery store allowed him to appreciate many different cultures. This experience has served him well as counsel, and will continue to serve him well in discharging his judicial duties in a fair and compassionate manner. He graduated in 1987 from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where he later returned as a sessional instructor to teach criminal trial procedure. He has a proven track record as a skilled, compassionate, and ethical practitioner of criminal law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2012.
In bestowing the Alumni Honour Award upon Justice Aloneissi in 2016, the University of Alberta recognized his ability to build bridges in the community through his involvement in restorative justice programs, the Phoenix Multifaith Society for Harmony, and the Crown – Defence Right to Play Charity Hockey Game, which has raised $100,000. for Indigenous Youth Programs. Justice Aloneissi was also a founding member of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association Committee to Reduce Indigenous Incarceration.
Justice Aloneissi and his wife, along with their four children, enjoy a healthy lifestyle often in Edmonton's gorgeous river valley and the precious Rocky Mountains.
Justice Nancy M. Carruthers, grew up near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She attended the University of Saskatchewan where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree (with distinction) in 1987 and her LL.B (also with distinction) in 1990. She articled with the Calgary office of Parlee McLaws LLP, and was called to the Alberta bar in 1991.
Justice Carruthers practised with Parlee McLaws in the litigation group from 1991 to 2005, first as an associate and later as a partner. Her practice focused on insurance defence matters, including personal injury, product liability, and professional negligence claims. In 2005, she joined the Law Society of Alberta as a Practice Advisor; she has also held the positions of Tribunal Counsel, Senior Manager of Policy and Ethics and, most recently, General Counsel and Director of Regulation.
Justice Carruthers has been a member of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada's Standing Committee on the Model Code of Professional Conduct since 2017, and has been involved in supporting many Law Society policy initiatives, rule changes and Code of Conduct amendments. She has delivered presentations to a variety of organizations, including the Canadian Bar Association, the Legal Education Society of Alberta, the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education, and the law schools of the Universities of Calgary and Alberta. She has also authored a number of ethical and practice resources on behalf of the Law Society of Alberta. Her community involvement has focused on supporting youth and education, and she has most recently served as board chair of the Foothills Caledonia Youth Pipe Band and the Rosedale School Parent Council.
Justice Carruthers resides in Calgary where she and her husband, Brian, enjoy supporting their children's endeavours in swimming and music.
Justice Michael A. Marion was born and raised in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. He received his B. Comm (Hons. with distinction), from the University of Manitoba in 1995 and his LL.B from the University of Manitoba in 1998. He clerked at the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench and Court of Appeal and was called to the Alberta bar in 1999.
Justice Marion joined Howard Mackie, which later merged with five other firms to create the national law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in 2000. For over 22 years with the firm, he had a diverse commercial litigation and administrative law advocacy practice, including commercial, energy, municipal, expropriation, environmental, land, insolvency, appellate, arbitration, and constitutional matters. He has appeared before administrative tribunals and courts in several jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has written and published extensively on legal matters relevant to commercial disputes, including in several legal journals.
At the firm, Justice Marion served as the local Regional Group Manager of the Calgary commercial disputes practice, as Co-Chair of Calgary's appellate practice group, and Co-Chair of Calgary's pro bono committee. He has had the privilege to be a principal to several articling students, and has been enriched by, and grateful for, many informal and formal mentoring relationships over the years. In 2021, he joined the Board of Directors of Pro Bono Law Alberta, and is a past President of the Alberta Expropriation Association.
Justice Marion and his wife are proud parents of three daughters.
- At the Superior Court level, more than 525 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, LGBTQ2+, 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.
- 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
Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]
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