Her legal practice has covered family law, child protection, mediation
The BC government has announced the appointment of Colleen Spier as a new judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia, assigned by the judiciary to the Nanaimo Court House, effective July 7.
Spier’s most recent role was assistant deputy minister of the Indigenous justice secretariat at the BC Ministry of Attorney General. In this position, she handled the Provincial Court’s Indigenous justice initiatives, including the Indigenous sentencing courts, according to a news release from the provincial government.
BC’s news release noted that Spier’s legal practice has included family law, child protection, and mediation matters.
She worked as a judicial clerk in the Provincial Court’s externship program in 2007. She graduated from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law (now the Peter A. Allard School of Law) in April that year.
Throughout her legal career, Spier has garnered awards and recognition such as the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025, a King’s counsel designation in 2023, and the Susanna Jani award for supporting excellence in mediation in 2022.
The BC government shared that Spier’s appointment as a judge seeks to promote timely and efficient access to justice, address delays at the Nanaimo Provincial Court, and tackle the courthouse’s pressures.
The provincial government explained that it weighs different factors when making judicial appointments, including the court's requirements, the diversity of the bench, and the candidates’ fields of experience.
In its news release, the BC government expressed its commitment to expanding its justice system and improving access to court services for people in the province.
On Apr. 25, the provincial government noted that it extended Melissa Gillespie’s seven-year term as chief judge of the BC Provincial Court, which should have ended this Oct. 18, until Dec. 31, 2026.
On Apr. 22, the BC government shared that it appointed Aamna Afsar, Christopher Balison, and Dennis Isaac Ferbey as judges of the BC Provincial Court, as well as Patrick Angly as a judicial justice of the same court.
On Mar. 3, the provincial government announced the appointments of Ariana Ward, James Henry, Brian Dybwad, and Mylene de Guzman as new judges of the BC Provincial Court.
