The Government of British Columbia is appointing three new provincial court judges and reappointing three senior provincial court judges to increase access to justice for British Columbians.

These appointments and reappointments will increase the capacity of the provincial court and further reduce delays in courtrooms throughout the province. The senior judge reappointments provide the court with additional capacity to address the backlog of cases and support the response to COVID-19 impacts on the justice system.

The three senior judges being reappointed, effective July 21, 2020, are:

• Jane Cartwright
• Thomas Gove
• Richard Miller

These reappointments will be for a term of one year.

The three new judge appointments, effective Aug. 10, 2020, are:

• Wendy Bernt
• Tamera Golinsky
• Oliver Fleck

Bernt has practised law in B.C. since February 1999. She has practised exclusively in the area of child protection for the last 15 years, and recently began representing the government on child protection matters.

Golinsky has held the position of Crown counsel in Dawson Creek for 15 years. Before this, she worked in two private law firms, primarily doing family and insurance law.

Fleck is currently a Crown counsel and has held this position since 2012. He has spent most of his career as counsel for the federal government, working in the area of international trade agreements and disputes.

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 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 members from outside the legal profession.
  • 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

For more information about the two advisory groups, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020AG0032-000747