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

Press Release

From: Department of Justice Canada

August 28, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario

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.

The Honourable James G. Edmond, a Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, is appointed a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Edmond replaces Justice L.T. Spivak (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 1, 2022.

The Honourable David J. Kroft, a Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, is appointed a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Kroft replaces Justice K.I. Simonsen (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 8, 2022.

The Honourable Anne Turner, a Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, is appointed a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Turner replaces Justice W.J. Burnett (Winnipeg), who resigned effective October 31, 2022.

The Honourable Alain G.J. Huberdeau, a Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in Winnipeg, is appointed a Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Huberdeau replaces Justice J.G. Edmond (Winnipeg), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for Manitoba effective August 23, 2023.

Sarah A. Inness, Founding Lawyer at Campbell Gunn Inness Seib Jones in Winnipeg, is appointed a Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Inness replaces Justice D.J. Kroft (Winnipeg), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for Manitoba effective August 23, 2023.

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“I wish Justices Edmond, Kroft, Turner, Huberdeau, and Inness 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 Appeal and the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba.”

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

Biographies

Justice James G. Edmond was appointed to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in 2013. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Manitoba in 1981 and was called to the Bar of Manitoba in 1982.

At the time of his appointment to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, Justice Edmond had been practising with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP since 1982, where he became a partner in 1990. His main practice areas were commercial law, litigation, insurance law, and construction law.

Justice Edmond was previously a member of several committees of the Manitoba Bar Association, including Civil Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Construction. He was also a member of The Advocates Society of Manitoba and of the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities Board. He also lectured at numerous seminars for the Law Society of Manitoba and the Manitoba Bar Association.

Justice David J. Kroft was appointed to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in 2016. He received a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Manitoba in 1986 and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall, York University in 1989. He was called to the Bar of Manitoba in 1990.

At the time of his appointment to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, Justice Kroft had been practising with Fillmore Riley LLP since 1990. His main practice areas were commercial litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency law.

Justice Kroft was a Life Bencher at the Law Society of Manitoba from 2007 to 2016. He was also a Life Council Member at the Manitoba Bar Association and a lecturer at the Law Society of Manitoba Bar Admission Course. He was previously the president of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.

Justice Anne Turner is bilingual and was appointed to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in 2019. She received her LL.B from the University of Manitoba in 2002 and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2003. She received an LL.M from Osgoode Hall in 2016, with a focus on criminal law.

Justice Turner articled with the federal Department of Justice in Winnipeg, gaining experience in prosecutions, tax and civil litigation, and the aboriginal law section. After receiving her call, she remained with prosecutions, where she focused on complex trial and appellate work. At the time of her appointment to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, she was Senior Crown Counsel and a team leader, where she focused on developing and mentoring many junior counsels. In 2018, she was nominated to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada’s National Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and she was honoured to accept the position of National Advisor for Indigenous Peoples.

Justice Turner was previously a contract professor in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Winnipeg. She presented at various conferences and internal education events, and frequently presents to the Winnipeg Police Service and RCMP on a variety of criminal law topics.

Justice Alain G.J. Huberdeau is bilingual. He was raised in the small francophone community of St. Lazare, Manitoba, where the value of hard work was instilled in him while working on the family farm. He moved to Winnipeg at the age of sixteen to complete his high school and university studies in French, graduating from Collège Louis Riel in 1988 and the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface in 1992. In 1993, he moved to New Brunswick where he earned his law degree from l’Université de Moncton in 1996. He was then called to the Manitoba bar in 1997.

Justice Huberdeau made Thompson, Manitoba home, from 1996 to 2016. His work as a lawyer and then as a Provincial Court judge, provided him the opportunity to travel throughout northern Manitoba, including the nineteen Indigenous judicial circuit points/communities. In 2016, he and his family made Winnipeg home. As one of two designated French-speaking provincial court judges, Justice Huberdeau presided over a number of French language matters throughout Manitoba. He has also been a guest lecturer at various educational programs touching on issues related to access to justice in French. This includes events hosted by the Law Society, l’Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba and Robson Hall.

Justice Huberdeau assisted in establishing the first fully French school while in Thompson. He was also fortunate to work with a number of Indigenous and community groups in various capacities, both professional and personal. In recognition of his volunteer service to the north, The Manitoba Bar Association awarded him the Community Involvement Award in 2014.

Justice Sarah A. Inness was born in England and came to Canada as a child, growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She received her law degree from the University of Manitoba in 1998. She articled at Legal Aid Manitoba and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1999.

Justice Inness has been a defence lawyer in private practice her entire career, forming the law firm Campbell Gunn Inness Seib Jones, in 2007. She considers herself fortunate to have the opportunity to represent persons from diverse and vulnerable backgrounds.

Justice Inness believes in the importance of ongoing continuing education, as a participant and lecturer. She was a sessional instructor at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, having taught Criminal Law and Procedure, and Introduction to Advocacy courses. She was a faculty member at the National Criminal Law Program in 2022 and 2023. She has valued the opportunities to contribute to her community. She has been involved with a variety of Boards and organizations, including the Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Court, the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba, and the 2SLGBQ.T+ community. She was recently elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba and has sat on its Discipline Committee. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2022 and received the Designation of King’s Counsel in 2023.

Justice Inness enjoys cycling, travel, new adventures and spending time with family and friends at the cottage.

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 645 judges 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 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 provides 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.

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Chantal Aubertin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-6568
Chantal.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

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