Alberta Judicial Appointments Announced

OTTAWA, March 7, 2014 – The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Thomas W. Wakeling, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, a Judge of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories and a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Nunavut, to replace Mr. Justice P.T. Costigan (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of July 14, 2011.

Mr. Justice Wakeling was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench on February 8, 2013.  He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan in 1971, a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1974 and a Master of Laws from the University of Illinois in 1982. He was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1980 and the Bar of Alberta in 1982, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2001.

Mr. Justice Wakeling was a partner with Fraser Milner Casgrain from 1983 to 2013. He also served as a faculty member of the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, and as a chartered arbitrator with the Arbitrators’ Institute of Canada from 1988 to 2013. His main practice areas were constitutional law, labour law and arbitration.

Prior to his appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench, Mr. Justice Wakeling served as chairman of the Public Service Employee Relations Board of Alberta, president of the Edmonton Junior Golf Association and honourary solicitor for the United Way of Alberta, Capital Region.

The Honourable Russell S. Brown, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, a Judge of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories and a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Nunavut, to replace Madam Justice M.B. Bielby (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of February 2, 2013.

Mr. Justice Brown was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench on February 8, 2013. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 1994. He also received a Master of Laws in 2003 and a Doctor of Juridical Science in 2006, both from the University of Toronto. He was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1995 and to the Bar of Alberta in 2008.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Justice Brown served as an associate professor and associate dean at the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta, and as associate counsel with Miller Thomson LLP in Edmonton (2009-2013). He was an associate with Carfra & Lawton in Victoria (1996-2003) and Davis & Company in Vancouver (1995-1996). His main areas of practice were commercial law, medical negligence, personal injury, trusts and estates and competition law.

Mr. Justice Brown has served on various committees of the Law Society of Alberta. He has also served on the executive of the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice and Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta. He has authored and published numerous legal articles.

The Honourable Debra A. Yungwirth, a lawyer with Yungwirth Tumbach in Edmonton, is appointed a  Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, to replace Mr. Justice Thomas W. Wakeling, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

Madam Justice Yungwirth received a Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1982, both from the University of Saskatchewan. She was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1983 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009.

Madam Justice Yungwirth has been a partner at Yungwirth Tumbach since 1999. Prior to that, she practised with Barr Wensel Nesbitt Reeson (1988-1999) and Biamonte Thurston (1983-1988). Her main areas of practice were family law, criminal law and civil litigation.

Madam Justice Yungwirth has been active in numerous professional organizations, including the Law Society of Alberta (Practice Review Committee and Legislative Review Committee), Legal Education Society of Alberta (Family Law Practice Manual Committee), the Edmonton Community Legal Centre and the Canadian Bar Association Family Law Section, as well as the Legal Aid Appeals Committee. She has been a frequent conference speaker.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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