The British Columbia government is appointing a new B.C. Supreme Court master to ensure the judiciary has the resources to continue providing access to justice.

The appointment of master Terry Vos, who will take his seat in Vancouver, will be effective March 20, 2017.

His 30-year legal practice includes civil litigation, such as personal injury, motor vehicle accidents and insurance coverage matters, and has had a focus on economic and accounting issues. Additionally, he has acted as a mediator and has extensive experience appearing before the B.C. Supreme Court.

Quick Facts:

• Thirteen Supreme Court masters sit at Supreme Court locations throughout the province in Vancouver, Victoria, New Westminster, Kamloops, Kelowna and Nanaimo.
• Presiding in civil chambers and registrar hearings, a master makes decisions about pre-trial motions and procedural orders.
• How a master is appointed:
  • Lawyers submit applications, which are reviewed by an ad hoc committee made up of B.C.’s deputy attorney general, a justice of the Supreme Court of B.C., a master of the Supreme Court of B.C., a representative of the Law Society of British Columbia and the president of the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch.
  • The ad hoc committee makes recommendations to the chief justice who provides them to B.C.’s Attorney General.
  • The Attorney General makes a recommendation to cabinet, which makes appointments through an order-in-council.

Learn More:

Information about the B.C. Supreme Court: www.courts.gov.bc.ca/supreme_court/