The Government of British Columbia is appointing a new Supreme Court of B.C. master to support the judiciary in providing British Columbians with access to justice.

The appointment of Susanna Hughes, who takes her seat in Vancouver, is effective Monday, May 2, 2022.

Hughes received a bachelor of laws from the University of British Columbia in 1989. Her practice has primarily focused on family law, including family and child protection matters. She has extensive experience working with the Legal Services Society (now Legal Aid BC), first as family duty counsel at the New Westminster courthouse, and more recently as a co-ordinator of family law services. Hughes has litigation experience in the Provincial Court, Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. Hughes participates in several Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch subsections and is an active member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Quick Facts:

• A total of 15 Supreme Court masters sit at Supreme Court locations throughout the province and are resident in Vancouver, Victoria, New Westminster, Abbotsford, 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 representative of the Law Society of British Columbia and a representative of the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch.
  • Following consultation with the chief justice, the attorney general makes a recommendation to cabinet, which makes appointments through an order-in-council.

Learn More: 

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