Following a transparent, merit-based recruitment process, Geneviève Boudreau has been appointed chair of the British Columbia Review Board for a five-year term, effective Nov. 18, 2025.

The B.C. Review Board is an independent tribunal established under the Criminal Code of Canada. It decides how best to balance public safety with the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals found not criminally responsible or unfit to stand trial due to a mental disorder.

Boudreau brings more than two decades of legal, adjudicative and leadership experience in the justice system and public service. She has served as vice-chair of the Parole Board of Canada’s appeal division, where she provided leadership and oversight on decision-making, risk assessment and procedural fairness.

She has also directed national access-to-justice initiatives and holds advanced degrees in constitutional and administrative law. Her expertise and leadership will support the board’s mandate and strengthen collaboration between the justice and health systems, to protect communities.

Brenda Edwards, who has led the board since 2023, will continue to serve as a board member for one additional year to support a smooth leadership transition. The government is grateful to Edwards for her continued service and respects her decision in July 2025 to not seek reappointment as chair.

This appointment builds on government’s broader efforts to improve mental health and addictions care within the justice system. Recent actions include opening new involuntary care beds in Surrey and Maple Ridge for people in crisis who are already in custody, with additional spaces to come in Surrey, Prince George and in other regions of the province.

The Province is also advocating for federal legislative changes to allow greater use of virtual hearings before the review board, improving access and efficiency for victims, families and other individuals involved in proceedings. The B.C. attorney general sent a letter to the federal minister of justice on Oct. 6, 2025, to reiterate this call for reform.

Government is committed to working across ministries to support the B.C. Review Board and welcomes its feedback as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen public safety and improve supports for people living with severe mental illness who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

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For more information about the B.C. Review Board, visit: https://www.bcrb.ca/