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

OTTAWA, ON, March 16, 2026 /CNW/ - The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 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.

Elissa A.B. Neville, Executive Legal Officer to Chief Justices at the Manitoba Courts in Winnipeg, is appointed a Judge of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba in Winnipeg.  Justice Neville replaces Justice S.W. Lanchbery (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 13, 2025.

Jonathan M. Woolley, Partner at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP in Winnipeg, is appointed a Judge of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Woolley replaces Justice R.A. Saull (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 5, 2026.

Quote

"I wish Justices Neville and Woolley every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Manitoba well as members of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba."

-- The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Biographies

Justice Elissa A.B. Neville grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She earned her B.A. from the University of Manitoba in 1993 and her LLB from Dalhousie University in 1998, where she was a Law Foundation of Nova Scotia scholar. Upon completing her studies at Dalhousie University, she articled at Duboff Edwards Haight & Schachter and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1999. She later continued her legal studies, following which she received her LLM (Dispute Resolution) from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Justice Neville has had a broad and diverse career including practice at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, Manitoba Justice Civil Legal Services (Aboriginal Law Group), and Manitoba Hydro, where she also held various positions in management. She later practised with Rachlis Neville LLP, where the focus of her work was in relation to the conduct of independent workplace investigations. Since 2022, she had served as the Executive Legal Officer to the Chief Justices and the Chief Judge of the three Manitoba Courts.

Justice Neville served for several years as alternate chair of Manitoba's Criminal Code Review Board. She has served on Law Society of Manitoba committees, including the Equity Committee and the Indigenous Advisory Committee. She has also volunteered in the community, sitting on various community boards, including most recently, the Simkin Centre and Jazz Winnipeg.

Justice Jonathan M. Woolley was born and raised in Winnipeg. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from the University of Winnipeg in 1999, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Manitoba in 2002, and a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall in 2011. He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2003.

Justice Woolley articled and then practiced with the law firm of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP where he became a partner in 2011, and the chair of the litigation practice group in 2020. His practice was focused on providing dispute resolution services to parties involved in the construction and infrastructure industry, and he has appeared as counsel before all levels of Court in Manitoba, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and in numerous arbitrations and mediations. He has been recognized as a leading practitioner in his field by both Lexpert and Benchmark Canada.

Justice Woolley had been a contributing author to the Annotated Court of King's Bench Rules since 2015 and has served as a sessional lecturer at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, co-teaching a course in Construction Law, from 2019 to 2024.

Justice Woolley is grateful for the support of his family, his wife Linda, and their two wonderful children. He is an enthusiastic but unskilled golfer and a devoted fan of his children's sports teams.

Quick Facts

• 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.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Lola Dandybaeva, Manager of Media Relations, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 343-549-0347, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]