Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench welcomes new judge Michael Tomka

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani, has announced the appointment of Michael Tomka as a judge of the Court of King's Bench for Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Justice Tomka, previously a judge at the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan in Swift Current,  will fill the vacancy left by Justice N. Bardai, who ascended to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan on April 18.

Justice Tomka obtained his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1997 and was admitted to the Saskatchewan bar the following year. His professional journey began at Olive Waller Zinkhan & Waller, where he eventually became a partner. His expertise spans several legal domains, including civil litigation and criminal law, where he has served as a prosecutor and a defence lawyer.

From 2007 to 2010, Justice Tomka was an in-house litigator at Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI). He later served as associate general counsel from 2013 to 2018, managing legal operations across multiple provinces. Before his initial judicial appointment, he was with McKercher LLP from 2018 to 2021.

Appointed to the Provincial Court in 2021, Justice Tomka first served in Meadow Lake, working extensively with remote Indigenous communities. He moved to Swift Current as the resident judge in September 2023. Throughout his career, he has been active in various legal and community organizations, contributing to the criminal justice committee of the Provincial Court and the Canadian Bar Association’s Bar Judicial Council.

Justice Tomka’s appointment is part of the judicial application process established in 2016 to enhance judicial capacity and diversity. Minister Virani expressed his confidence in Justice Tomka's abilities, stating, “I wish Justice Tomka every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve the people of Saskatchewan well as a member of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench for Saskatchewan.”