Minister of Justice and Legal professional General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia

Biographies

Justice Sandra Sukstorf accomplished her Learn of Regulations from Queen’s University (2012) and a Learn of Defence Scientific tests from the Royal Navy Higher education of Canada (RMCC) (2012) to augment a Bachelor of Guidelines from Dalhousie College (1998), and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Commerce) from the RMCC (1986).

Justice Sukstorf is a army veteran who most not too long ago served as a military choose (2017-2024) presiding over courts martial throughout Canada. Originally a lawful officer in the Business office of the Judge Advocate Standard (OJAG) of the Canadian Armed Forces, she later assumed a key job taking care of the Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement section at the Law Society of British Columbia. During her lawful job with the OJAG, she demonstrated know-how in armed service self-discipline, domestic and intercontinental legal, and maritime regulation, contracting and agreements. Her specialized comprehending of maritime and international prison law proved instrumental in addressing legal problems similar to navy functions of the Royal Canadian Navy. Notably, she was one of the inaugural legal advisers in the Copenhagen-convened legal doing work team for the Make contact with Team on Piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Justice Sukstorf’s focused company was identified with her induction as an Officer into the Buy of Armed service Merit and the receipt of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Justice Christopher Greenwood was born and lifted in Vancouver. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts diploma from the College of British Columbia in 1989. Following a transient period of journey, functioning as a letter provider, and doing the job on a organization with his brother, he attended law faculty at McGill College and received an LL.B. in 1996. He was identified as to the bar in British Columbia in 1997 and to the bar of the Northwest Territories in 2009 and 2010.

Justice Greenwood commenced his profession with the Office of Justice Canada and has worked at what is now the Community Prosecution Assistance of Canada due to the fact September 1997. Through that time, he acquired a wide array of working experience conducting demo and appeals, as properly as furnishing tips on complicated investigations. His practice incorporated prolonged prosecutions involving criminal companies, intricate wiretap cases, and national safety documents. He represented the crown on quite a few appeals, appearing in the British Columbia Court docket of Charm and the Supreme Court docket of Canada. He appeared in advanced scenarios as well as travelling to and conducting court docket proceedings in various distant communities.

Through his time in the PPSC, Justice Greenwood was a member of the National Litigation Committee, Prosecution Plan Committee, and B.C. appeals committee. He appeared regularly as an instructor for the PPSC, and as a visitor speaker for the Canadian Bar Association, Continuing Lawful Training Culture of B.C., and other organizations.

Justice Maegen Giltrow, K.C., was born and elevated in Port Moody. She attained a Bachelor of Arts in English and Anthropology from Simon Fraser College in 1999 and a Bachelor of Guidelines from Dalhousie University in 2003.

Justice Giltrow served as a regulation clerk to Justices Rowles and Southin of the British Columbia Court of Charm prior to articling less than Greg McDade, QC at Ratcliff and Business LLP in Vancouver, exactly where she has continued to practice, most not long ago serving as direct of the Indigenous Law Group. Her authorized occupation has targeted on doing the job for Initially Nations, principally in Aboriginal and treaty legal rights litigation, as perfectly as Indigenous boy or girl welfare issues. She has acted as counsel in precedent environment Aboriginal and treaty legal rights trials, appeals and judicial assessments. Over and above Aboriginal regulation, she has represented landowners, farmers and area governments in organic useful resource disputes and regulatory hearings, and has acted as pro bono counsel in community curiosity Constitution legal rights conditions. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2021.

Justice Giltrow has served as an elected member of the Vancity Credit rating Union Board of Administrators, and was a founding Director of the Pacific Centre for Environmental Regulation and Litigation and of the Kilala Lelum Urban Indigenous Overall health and Therapeutic Cooperative in Vancouver. She is also a past Director of the Savary Island Land Belief.

Justice Giltrow turns to sporting activities for enjoyment and leisure, and earlier mentioned all, she enjoys touring and paying time with her spouse George and their daughter Sonja.

Justice Karrie Anne Wolfe, K.C., was born and raised in Kitchener. She attained an Honours B.A. (Superior Difference) from the College of Toronto in 2000 and a J.D. from the College of Victoria in 2004. Throughout law faculty, she acquired awards for academic accomplishment and community involvement, and accomplished three formative co-op terms. She was referred to as to the BC bar in May perhaps 2005.

Justice Wolfe articled with the Legal Solutions Branch of the BC Ministry of Lawyer Common in which she put in most of her authorized career as a barrister, specializing in constitutional and administrative litigation. She has a broad vary of community regulation practical experience, having appeared at all concentrations of courtroom in British Columbia and at the Supreme Court of Canada, most a short while ago in scenarios involving minority language education and learning legal rights. Her authorized exercise has also involved constitutional thoughts, supervisory roles, solicitor’s get the job done, and advice to assistance equally administrative choice-building and reconciliation. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2023.

Justice Wolfe was a member of the editorial board and a contributing writer to the Continuing Legal Education Culture of British Columbia (CLEBC) Administrative Legislation Practice Guide. She has been a repeated contributor to different authorized training systems all over her profession. She often volunteered as a exercise judge for moots and also guest lectures at the College of Victoria’s School of Law, principally in administrative regulation and advocacy. She models lights for neighborhood theatre and has served on the boards of many arts corporations, which includes Intrepid Theatre and Attorneys on Phase Theatre.

Justice Wolfe and her partner, Todd Ayotte, are the very pleased mothers and fathers of Joshua.  

Justice Y. Liliane Bantourakis was born to Greek and Franco-Ontarian parents. She obtained her undergraduate diploma (B.A. Hons.) from the University of British Columbia and her law degrees (LL.B. & B.C.L.) from McGill University, graduating as the Aimé Geoffrion gold medalist.

Justice Bantourakis is fluently bilingual and has pleaded circumstances in the two of Canada’s official languages. Just after a clerkship at the Supreme Courtroom of Canada for McLachlin, C.J.C., she joined the Section of Justice Canada in Vancouver, inevitably starting to be Senior Counsel and Particular Advisor to the Regional Director General. There, she had a complex civil, administrative, and constitutional regulation practice. She later on joined the B.C. Prosecution Service as prison appeals Crown Counsel, specializing in criminal legislation and appellate advocacy. A occupation litigator, she has appeared right before all ranges of the British Columbia and Federal Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Bantourakis has been an advocacy advisor and British Columbia Regional Committee member for the Supreme Courtroom Advocacy Institute and has spoken on a assortment of public legislation topics at conferences and continuing authorized training gatherings.

Justice Bantourakis grew up in Québec, Ontario and overseas, but has extended referred to as British Columbia home. She lives in Vancouver with her partner and son, surrounded by close relatives and cherished friends.