He was general counsel at the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission
Martin Goguen has been named a sitting provincial court judge in Campbellton, New Brunswick.
He becomes the 25th full-time provincial court judge. Prior to this appointment, he was the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission’s general counsel.
As per Duty Counsel Day, Goguen became interested in law through movies that featured court trials. He was introduced to duty counsel work while interning with a law firm, and his love of this field of law led to him taking a permanent position with New Brunswick Legal Aid.
He received his bachelor of laws degree in 2007 from the Université de Moncton and was called to the bar in 2008. He went on to also obtain a master’s degree in business administration in 2013.
Goguen is currently part of the National Criminal Law Program, where he is involved with professional development. He also presents at the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission’s continuing education sessions annually.
“I congratulate Mr. Goguen on his appointment. His legal expertise makes him a valuable asset to the provincial court, and I am confident he will serve the public well,” Justice Minister Robert McKee said in a statement.
McKee added that the government was ensuring timely provincial court appointments in line with its aim to bolster timely access to justice for New Brunswickers.
Goguen was selected to join the provincial court following a process in which provincial judicial appointment review advisors who represent the bench, the bar and the general public evaluate appointment applications. The advisors look into candidates’ professional and other qualifications.
Interviews are then conducted by a committee that includes the New Brunswick chief justice, the chief judge and the associate chief judge of the provincial court, one of the provincial judicial appointment review advisors representing the general public and a senior member of the bar.
The provincial court bench includes the chief judge, the associate chief judge, two supernumerary judges, and four per diem judges.
