BC Gov News

A new associate judge is being appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia to support the judiciary in providing consistent and timely access to justice.

Effective Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, Lawrence Robinson will join a complement of 13 associate judges who work provincewide.

Presiding over civil chambers and registrar hearings, associate judges make decisions about pre-trial motions and procedural orders. In hearing and disposing of the pre-trial work of the court, associate judges help ensure that trials, which are overseen by a justice or judge, run smoothly and occur in a timely manner.

Called to the bar in 2002, Robinson was a litigator and trial lawyer with a diverse practice that included employment and human rights, personal injury claims, defamation actions, creditors’ remedies and commercial and municipal disputes. He has appeared as counsel at all levels of court in British Columbia and represented clients before numerous administrative tribunals. He became a partner at his firm in 2009.

Robinson taught business law at Langara College and was a regular presenter for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC and the University of British Columbia’s Sauder school of business. He volunteered as chair of the Employment Law Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association – B.C. Branch and as director of the Port Moody Foundation. He is the director of the Kekinow Native Housing Society.

While Robinson will be posted to Vancouver, like many other judicial postings, he may use video-conferencing technology to support other regions.

Quick Facts:

• An associate judge was previously known as a master. The title for this position was changed on Jan. 15, 2024.
• The process to appoint an associate judge involves the following steps:
  • Interested lawyers submit applications and an ad hoc committee reviews the candidates.
  • The committee includes:
    • 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 about the Supreme Court of B.C.: https://www.bccourts.ca/supreme_court/