Six new judges appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta
Ron Stevens, Minister of Justice and Attorney General appointed the following outstanding lawyers to the Provincial Court of Alberta.
| Sean Dunnigan, QC Calgary Criminal Court |
Bruce Millar, QC Calgary Criminal Court |
| Marlene Graham, QC Calgary Criminal Court |
Lillian McLellan Calgary Family and Youth Court |
| Danielle Dalton Edmonton Family and Youth Court |
Fred “Ted” Fisher, QC Medicine Hat Provincial Court |
Judges represent the independent branch of government that presides over the courts. They interpret laws, develop the common law, determine the validity of laws, determine the facts, and render decisions in a fair and impartial manner. The provincial government appoints all Provincial Court of Alberta judges. The federal government appoints judges to the other two levels of court in Alberta – the Court of Appeal and the Court of Queen’s Bench.
Appointments as a provincial judge are made on the grounds of merit, including factors such as integrity, professional excellence, community awareness and appropriate personal characteristics such as a reputation for integrity and fairness, and moral courage and high ethics.
More information on each of the individuals listed above can be found on the Justice website (www.justice.gov.ab.ca) under News Releases.
What is the Provincial Court of Alberta?The Provincial Court of Alberta sits in 75 locations across Alberta and has five different divisions: civil, criminal, family, traffic and youth. Each court hears proceedings, applications and trials in their respective area of law. Provincial Court Civil hears all civil claims, subject to certain restrictions. The court is limited to claims of $25,000 or less. Provincial Court Criminal handles all first appearances, entry of pleas, preliminary inquiries and the trials and sentencing of summary convictions and certain indictable offences. The Court also conducts bail hearings as required. Provincial Court Family hears maintenance applications regarding spousal and child maintenance proceedings and custody access claims, when divorce is not an issue. In addition, this court hears all child welfare and private guardianship applications. Provincial Court Traffic hears proceedings primarily under the Traffic Safety Act. Provincial Court Youth hears all proceedings under the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act applying to youth 12 to 17. |
