The British Columbia government is appointing three provincial court judges to ensure the judiciary has the resources it needs to continue to provide access to justice. The appointments and effective dates are:

• Judge Wilfred Klinger – June 13, 2016
• Judge Jennifer Barrett – June 20, 2016
• Judge Robert Gunnell – June 27, 2016

Klinger is being reappointed for a one-year term as a senior judge. He was initially appointed as a judge in 1979 and was made a senior judge in 2009. He will continue to sit in the Okanagan area.

Barrett has more than 30 years’ legal experience in Ontario and British Columbia. After graduation from the University of Windsor with an LLB she practised law in Eastern Ontario before moving to Victoria, where she has been an associate lawyer with Quadra Legal Centre since 2007. She is a frequent writer and speaker on a number of legal topics. Once appointed, she will serve primarily on Vancouver Island.

Gunnell received an LLB from the University of Southampton and a JD from the University of Victoria. Since 1998, he has been a partner in Findlay Gunnell Sandor in Maple Ridge, where his practice is almost exclusively criminal law. Gunnell has been active in the New Westminster Bar Association and its Criminal Justice Section, as well as a volunteer athletic coach. He will serve primarily in the Fraser Region.

British Columbia’s judicial system is recognized as one of the best in the world because of the diversity, experience and knowledge of its judges. The chief judge determines the locations to which judges are assigned in order to meet the needs of the court.

Quick Facts:

• As of April 30, 2016, B.C. had the equivalent of about 125 full-time provincial court judges who serve more than 80 court locations.
• Although judges are located in a judicial region, many travel regularly throughout the province to meet changing demands.

Learn More:

Information about the judicial appointment process: www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/about-the-court/judicial-officers/judges-court