The Government of British Columbia is appointing three new provincial court judges.

The new appointments fill vacancies created by retirements. They include:

• Judge Anja Brown (effective July 3, 2018)
• Judge Trudy Agnes MacDonald (effective July 3, 2018)
• Judge Linda Thomas (effective July 5, 2018)

Brown received a bachelor of laws (LLB) from the University of British Columbia in 1997, and worked as a sole practitioner before joining Braker and Company in 2000, and Mandell Pinder LLP in 2009. Throughout her career, she has worked with Indigenous communities on legal matters, including fisheries rights, child protection, taxation and governance. She has also served as a student mentor for the Canadian Bar Association, and sat on its Judicial Advisory Council. Brown will be assigned to the Fraser Region.

MacDonald received an LLB from the University of British Columbia in 1993. She began her career working on family support matters, and went on to launch a family-law litigation practice. Her focus has been on family law mediation and collaborative family law, with particular commitment to giving voice to youth in family matters. She regularly provided advice to provincial family justice counsellors, and on federal law initiatives. MacDonald will be assigned to the Fraser Region.

Thomas received an LLB from the University of British Columbia in 2000. She has experience working as a sole practitioner, and for First Nations government and non-profit organizations. She has focused primarily on child protection and family law mediation, and also has a background in prison law.  She has worked extensively to develop and facilitate legal information workshops with law advocates, family support workers and Indigenous communities. Thomas 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.

The acting 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. reviews the candidates. The council is a statutory body made up of the chief judge, an associate chief judge, other judges, lawyers and lay people.
  • 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:

For information about the judicial appointment process, visit: www.provincialcourt.bc.ca