The Government of British Columbia is appointing two new provincial court judges to ensure the judiciary has the resources to continue to provide access to justice.

The new appointments fill vacancies created by retirements and are effective Jan. 2, 2018. The new appointees are:

• Judge Delaram Jahani
• Judge Peter Whyte

Judge Jahani received an LLB degree from the University of Windsor (Ont.) in 1998 and has gained experience in the areas of family law, child protection, criminal litigation and federal regulatory offences. She served as criminal duty counsel for Legal Aid Ontario, criminal and family duty counsel for the Legal Services Society and as family law lawyer with Boyd Jahani Barristers in Surrey, since 2003. She volunteers with the Canadian Bar Association B.C. Branch and has previously volunteered with access to justice and women’s legal resource clinics in her community. Judge Jahani will be assigned to the Fraser Region.

Judge Whyte graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2005 with a juris doctor degree. He worked at the North Vancouver firm Lake Whyte LLP as a lawyer and for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada as an agent prosecutor for close to a decade. He joined the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) in 2015 as Crown counsel. He has a master’s degree in social work and extensive expertise in matters relating to mental health and addiction. He also serves with the Victims and Vulnerable Witnesses Resource Counsel Group of the BCPS. Judge Whyte will be assigned to the Northern Region.

Government and the public rely on judges for their integrity and impartiality and trust they will deliver fair, learned decisions. These qualities are essential for maintaining the public’s confidence in the courts and are a vital component of any democratic justice system.

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:

• The process to appoint judges involves the following steps:
  • Interested lawyers apply and the Judicial Council of B.C., a statutory body made up of the chief judge, an associate chief judge, other judges, lawyers and lay people, reviews the candidates.
  • The council recommends potential judges to the Attorney General, with the final appointment made through a cabinet order-in-council.
• 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