Manitoba has a new top judge with the retirement of Chief Justice Richard Scott on March 1.
Richard Chartier, currently an appellate judge in Manitoba, replaces Scott in the role. Chartier has been on the Court of Appeal since 2006 and prior to that was a Provincial Court judge from 1993-2006. A lawyer since 1983, he primarily practised corporate commercial law but developed an expertise in criminal and family litigation during his time at the Provincial Court. In addition, he authored a report on French language services in Manitoba for the province in 1998.
Scott’s retirement set off a number of changes within Manitoba’s judiciary. Replacing Chartier is Court of Queen’s Bench Associate Chief Justice William Burnett. He became a judge in 2009 following a stint as partner at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP in Winnipeg.
Moving into Burnett’s role is Justice Shane Perlmutter. Currently a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench, he becomes associate chief justice as Burnett moves to the Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a judge in 2011, he also worked at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman and at Fillmore Riley before that. His main areas of practice were civil litigation and administrative law.
The final Manitoba appointment is Justice Herbert Rempel of the Court of Queen’s Bench family division. He replaces Justice Diana Cameron, who left the Court of Queen’s Bench for the appeal court on Nov. 2, 2012. Rempel had been with the court’s family division since late 2011 following a career as a lawyer in adoption matters, corporate commercial law, wills and estates, and civil litigation.
Besides the Manitoba appointments, the federal government also named a new Quebec Superior Court judge on Friday. Justice Karen Kear-Jodoin, a lawyer since 1984 who mainly practised family law, replaces Justice Marie-Christine Laberge following her resignation in January.
