In addition to the judicial
appoinments from earlier this month, Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Justice Daryl Labach, was elevated to the province’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
Labach replaces Justice Y.G. Wilkinson, who became a supernumerary judge on May 16. Labach, who was appointed to the Provincial Court in 2009, was formerly a lawyer with McDougall Gauley.
Even new to the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench is Gary Meschishnick, who was a lawyer with Wallace Meschishnick Clackson Zawada LPC in Saskatoon. Meschishnick is replacing Justice F.J. Kovach, who is now a supernumerary judge.
Meschishnick, who is from Humboldt, Sask., had been a partner with Wallace Meschishnick Clackson Zawada LPC since 1996. He practised primarily in the areas of corporate commercial litigation, debtor-creditor law, and insolvency and restructuring law, as well as mediation and arbitration.
In Nova Scotia, legal aid lawyer Robert Gregan has joined the bench of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. He is taking the place of Justice C. MacLellan, who became a supernumerary judge on June 19.
Gregan practised criminal law, family law, and administrative law at Nova Scotia Legal Aid in Amherst since 1991.
Evn though all the newly appointed judges in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are male, the government’s press releases said they reflect its awareness of the need for a more equal gender representation on the judiciary.
“Appointments to the country’s Superior Courts not only reflect the rich and diverse social fabric of our country, but also take into consideration the merit and legal excellence of each individual jurist,” the government said.
“Through these appointments, the Government of Canada has demonstrated an awareness of the need to bring greater gender balance to the bench, to help ensure that the judiciary is more representative of Canadian society.”
