The Government of British Columbia is appointing three new provincial court judges to support the judiciary with the resources needed to continue providing access to justice.

The additional appointments will be assigned to Port Coquitlam, Richmond and Surrey. They are:

• Judge Tina Dion, Q.C. (effective May 29, 2019)
• Judge Glenn Lee (effective June 12, 2019)
• Judge David Silverman (effective May 29, 2019)

Dion received a bachelor of laws (LLB) from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a doctor of juridical science from the University of Arizona and was called to the bar in 1999. She started her career as a lawyer in a small criminal defence practice before moving on to a large national firm, where she worked in civil litigation. From there, she was in-house counsel for the Tsawwassen First Nation before becoming a managing lawyer of a small firm. Most recently, she has been a sole practitioner. She also taught as an adjunct professor at UBC for 12 years.

Lee received an LLB from the University of Saskatchewan in 1989 and was called to the bar in 1990. He started his legal career practising family, criminal, civil, human rights and corporate commercial/law. Since 1997, he has been a sole practitioner with a focus on criminal law and some work in family law and small claims. He has appeared in provincial court, Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and Vancouver traffic court.

Silverman received an LLB from UBC and was called to the bar in 1991. He practised for 27 years as a criminal defence lawyer and was a sole practitioner from 1993-2017. He has appeared at all levels of court and has appeared as a visiting practitioner in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He has also appeared as ad hoc Crown counsel throughout B.C. and was an instructor at the Pacific Regional Training Centre for the RCMP.

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.

Quick Facts:

• The chief judge determines where judges are assigned to meet the needs of the court.
• 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