Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announce a judicial appointment in the province of Saskatchewan Français
OTTAWA, ON, July 2, 2021 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment 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.
Keith D. Kilback, Q.C., Partner at Kanuka Thuringer LLP in Regina, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Saskatchewan. Mr. Justice Kilback replaces Mr. Justice D.B. Konkin (Estevan), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective August 31, 2020.
Quote
"I wish Justice Kilback every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve the people of Saskatchewan well as a member of the Court of Queen's Bench."
—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Keith D. Kilback, Q.C., attended the University of Saskatchewan, earning a B.A. in 1990 and a J.D. in 1994. He was called to the Saskatchewan bar in 1995 and to the British Columbia bar in 1997, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2018.
At the time of his appointment, Mr. Justice Kilback was a partner with Kanuka Thuringer LLP in Regina, practicing in the areas of civil litigation, administrative law, and transportation law. In 2008, he was appointed as an inquest coroner, and has presided over inquest hearings in Saskatchewan. He is a former director of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, and was recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert as a leading practitioner in the area of transportation law.
Justice Kilback has published articles on a number of legal subjects in various law journals, and has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in Saskatchewan, the British Columbia Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Quick Facts
- At the Superior Court level, more than 470 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, which 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
media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary (replacement of Rachel Rappaport), 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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