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

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, 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.

Brian T.D. Bowman, Vice President, Sustainability and Social Impact, at Canada Life in Winnipeg, is appointed a Judge of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench for Manitoba in Winnipeg. Justice Bowman replaces Justice A. Turner (Winnipeg), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal on August 23, 2023.

Quote

"I wish Justice Bowman every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve Manitobans well as a member of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench for Manitoba."

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

Biography

Justice Brian T.D. Bowman is a proud citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation. He was born and raised in Winnipeg and earned his Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) from the University of Manitoba in 1996 and Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto in 1999. He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2000.

Justice Bowman worked in private practice with two prominent Winnipeg law firms from 2000 to 2014 during which time he specialized in the areas of privacy, access to information and social media law. He was elected Mayor of Winnipeg in 2014, becoming the first Indigenous Mayor in the city's history. He was then re-elected in 2018. More recently, he has been working as Vice President, Sustainability and Social Impact for Great-West Lifeco.

Justice Bowman is a recipient of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Manitoba Bar Association's Community Involvement Award. He has volunteered for numerous organizations and has served as Chairperson for the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and the University of Manitoba's Alumni Association. He has been acknowledged by The Canadian Privacy Law Review as "one of Canada's leading privacy law authorities" and has been a frequent legal speaker, media commentator and author. He has served as Chairperson of the Canadian Bar Association's National Privacy and Access Law Section as well as the Manitoba Bar Association's Technology and Intellectual Property Law Section.

Justice Bowman is married to Tracy Bowman. Together, they are raising their two sons, Hayden and Austin.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 680 judges since November 2015. The Honourable Arif Virani has made 54 appointments since becoming Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023. 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.

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]