The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced on Friday the following judicial appointments:

Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick

The Honourable Barbara L. Baird, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick, Family Division, in Fredericton, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick to replace Mr. Justice J.R. Robertson (Fredericton), who resigned effective August 31, 2014. Madam Justice Baird was appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, in 2008. Prior to her appointment she had practised with Baird Law Firm since 1991, where her main areas of practice were family law and personal injury litigation. Prior to that, she had practised with the firm Clark Drummie and Company in Saint John from 1976 to 1981; as a sole practitioner in Saint John from 1981 to 1984; as an associate with Atkinson and Atkinson in Fredericton from 1985 to 1987; and as a Director of Court Services, Family Division, of the New Brunswick Department of Justice from 1987 to 1989. Madam Justice Baird received a Bachelor of Arts in 1974 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1976, both from the University of New Brunswick. She was admitted to the Bar of New Brunswick in 1976 and received a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1985. In 2000, she was appointed Queen's Counsel.

The Honourable M. Deborah Hackett, a Master with the Family Division of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick in Saint John, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick, Family Division, to replace Madam Justice B.L. Baird, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick. Madam Justice Hackett received a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1995, both from the University of New Brunswick. She received a Certificate in Public Relations from McGill University in 1989 and was admitted to the Bar of New Brunswick in 1996. Madam Justice Hackett was appointed a Case Management Master of the Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, Judicial District of Saint John, in 2010. Prior to that, she was the Director of Policy and Planning with the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs and the Office of the Attorney General from 2006 to 2010; the Director of Corporate Strategy, Service New Brunswick from 2005 to 2006; a Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Premier of New Brunswick from 2002 to 2005; Executive Assistant to the provincial Minister of Justice from 1999 to 2002; and an associate with the firm Cox, Hanson O'Reilly Matheson (formerly Hanson, Hashey) in Fredericton from 1996 to 1999.

Superior Court of Quebec

The Honourable Nicole Tremblay, a lawyer with Cain Lamarre Casgrain Wells in Chicoutimi, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec to replace Mr. Justice J. Babin (Chicoutimi), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of August 2, 2013. Madam Justice Tremblay received a Bachelor of Laws from l'Université Laval in 1988 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1989. She joined Cain Lamarre Casgrain Wells in Chicoutimi in 2001, where she practised family law, human rights, civil litigation and insurance law. Prior to that, she had practised with Truchon Girard Tremblay (1996-2001) and with Truchon & Associés (1989-96). Madam Justice Tremblay was Bâtonnière du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (2011-12) and a Board member of "Corporation des femmes d'affaires du Saguenay" (2006-08). She has been a consultant on the committee for good clinical practices for "Complexe Hospitalier de la Sagamie" since 2003 and president of the board of directors of the "Corporation de recherche et d'action sur les maladies héréditaires" (CORAMH) where she has held other positions.

The Honourable Lukasz Granosik, a lawyer with Norton Rose Fullbright Canada in Montréal, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec to fill a new position created by section 64 of Bill C-31. Mr. Justice Granosik received a Bachelor of Science from l'Université de Montréal in 1990 and a Bachelor of Laws from l'Université de Sherbrooke in 1993. Mr. Justice Granosik joined Norton Rose Fullbright (formerly Ogilvy Renault) in 2000 and became a partner in 2003. He has particular expertise in Charter rights issues in labour law. After he was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1994, he was a lawyer with Monette, Barakett et associés, where he practised civil litigation and labour law. In 2014, he became vice president of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers (CACE), which represents over 750 management-side labour and employment lawyers. He is the author and co-author of books about labour relations and protection of personal information and has also written numerous articles on the subject. He has been recognized in the legal directories of Lexpert and Best Lawyers in Canada for Workers Compensation Law, Occupational Health and Safety, and Workplace Human Rights.

Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta

The Honourable Wayne N. Renke, a Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta in Edmonton, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta to replace Mr. Justice M.D. Gates (Edmonton), who was transferred to Calgary to replace Mr. Justice W.P. Sullivan, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of August 31, 2014. Mr. Justice Renke received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Alberta, as well as a Bachelor of Laws in 1985. He was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1986 and he received a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1995. Mr. Justice Renke has been with the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta, since 1993 in many different positions, including Associate Dean, Vice-Dean and President of the Association of Academic Staff of the University, to name a few. Prior to that, he was a lawyer with the firm Ouellette & Hajduk in St. Paul, Alberta, from 1991to 1993 and with the firm Milner & Steer (Milner Fenerty) in Edmonton from 1986to 1991. His main areas of research and teaching were criminal law and energy law. His publications and research have beenrelated to criminal offences, criminal procedure, intersections of public health and criminal law, and energy law.

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The Honourable John E.D. Savage, a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia and a judge of the Court of Appeal of Yukon, to replace Madam Justice K.E. Neilson, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of July 1, 2014. Mr. Justice Savage was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2008. Prior to his appointment, he was with the firm Crease Harman & Company, where he had practised administrative law and real property assessment since 1978. Mr. Justice Savage received a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1972 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia Law School in 1977. He was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1978.

The Honourable Martha M. Devlin, a lawyer with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Vancouver, is appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia to replace Mr. Justice John E.D. Savage, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal of British Columbia. Madam Justice Devlin received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1983 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1993. She was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia in 1994 and is a past member of the Bar of Alberta. In 2009, she was appointed Queen's Counsel. Madam Justice Devlin had been Senior General Counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, B.C. Region (Vancouver), since 2011. Prior to that, she was Associate Chief Federal Prosecutor from 2001to 2011, and Federal Crown Counsel with the Federal Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice, British Columbia and Alberta Regions, from 1994 to 2001. Her main area of practice was criminal law. Madam Justice Devlin was the Principal of the National Training Academy for Crown Counsel and a member of the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver Community Advisory Committee from 2001to 2011. She was a lecturer at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars for the Law Society of British Columbia, a frequent speaker at provincial, national and international conferences, and an annual volunteer facilitator at the CLE Advocacy Skills Workshop.

Federal Court

The Honourable Simon Fothergill, a counsel with the Privy Council Office in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Federal Court to replace Mr. Justice E.P. Blanchard, who passed away on June 27, 2014. Mr. Justice Fothergill received a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 1987 and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1991. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 2006 and is a past member of the bars of British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. In 2013, he was appointed Queen's Counsel. Mr. Justice Fothergill has been Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet and Counsel to the Privy Council Office since 2013. Prior to that, he had been with the Department of Justice Canada since 1991 in various positions, including Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Litigation, from 2010 to 2013, and Deputy Assistant Deputy Attorney General from 2009 to 2010. He was senior associate with the firm Miller Thomson LLP (formerly Roberts & Baker) in Vancouver from 2000 to 2001; a counsel with the Department of Justice, Civil and Criminal Litigation, Vancouver Regional Office, from 1995 to 2000; and a counsel with the Department of Justice, Whitehorse Regional Office, Civil Litigation, Real Property and Commercial Law, from 1992 to 1995.

Federal Court of Appeal

The Honourable C. Michael Ryer, counsel to Deloitte Tax Law LLP in Calgary, is appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal to replace Madam Justice K.R. Sharlow, who retired on September 30, 2014. Mr. Justice Ryer received a Bachelor of Arts in 1970 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1974, both from the University of Saskatchewan. He received a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto in 1979 and was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1975 and to the Bar of Alberta in 1977. Mr. Justice Ryer had been senior legal counsel with Deloitte Tax Law LLP in Calgary since 2009. From October 2006 to December 2009, he served as a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal. Prior to 2006, he practised income tax law with Bennett Jones LLP, with an emphasis on corporate, resource and international taxation.

The appointments are effective immediately.