The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani, has announced new appointments to the Court of Appeal and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta.
The announcement brings notable shifts in the Alberta judiciary, with two Justices of the Court of King’s Bench being elevated to the Court of Appeal. Justice Alice Woolley, known for her national and international recognition as a scholar of lawyers’ ethics and professional regulation, replaces Justice J. Strekaf in Calgary. Woolley had served on the Court of King’s Bench since 2018 and was a professor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law prior to her judicial appointment.
Replacing Justice T.W. Wakeling in Edmonton is Justice Kevin Feth, who was a partner with Field Law LLP before being appointed to the Court of King’s Bench in 2019. Feth is noted for his extensive contributions to legal education and pro bono efforts, including a stint as the President of the Law Society of Alberta for the 2014-15 term.
The newly vacant spots on the Court of King’s Bench will be filled by Ayla Akgungor, a Partner at Field LLP in Edmonton; Jonathan Martin, Chief Federal Prosecutor at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Edmonton; Darren Reed, a Partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Calgary; and Chidinma B. Thompson, a Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary.
Akgungor, who had previously clerked with the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen’s Bench, replaces Justice Feth. Martin, who has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and is fluent in both English and French, replaces Justice E.J. Simpson. Reed, who was class valedictorian at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and practiced in Alberta throughout his career, replaces Justice B.A. Millar. Thompson, who immigrated to Canada from Nigeria and achieved a Ph.D. in law from the University of Calgary, replaces Justice C.M. Jones.
“I wish Justices Woolley, Feth, Akgungor, Martin, Reed, and Thompson every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Albertans well as members of the Court of Appeal and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta,” said Minister Virani.
