The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Arif Virani, has announced the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, following a judicial application process established in 2016 aimed at enhancing transparency, merit, and diversity.
Sandra Sukstorf, previously a Military Judge at the Office of the Chief Military Judge, has been appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Port Coquitlam, filling one of three new positions created by the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1.
Christopher Greenwood, who served as Senior General Counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Vancouver, will take up a position in the same city. He fills the vacancy left by Justice G.S. Funt, who became a supernumerary judge on November 26, 2022.
Maegen Giltrow, K.C., a Partner at Ratcliff LLP in North Vancouver, steps into the role previously held by Justice G. Macintosh, who retired on April 30, 2023. Her appointment is also in Vancouver.
Karrie Anne Wolfe, K.C., previously with the Legal Services Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General of British Columbia in Victoria, is appointed to the bench in Victoria, replacing Justice R.D. Punnett of Prince Rupert, who became a supernumerary judge on July 23, 2022. This position has shifted to Victoria following internal court transfers.
Y. Liliane Bantourakis, formerly Crown Counsel at the British Columbia Prosecution Service in Vancouver, has been appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster. She fills the position left by Justice P.W. Walker, who became a supernumerary judge on June 18, 2023. Justice B. Elwood has been moved into the vacancy, thus placing the new appointment in New Westminster.
Minister Virani expressed confidence in the new appointees, stating, “I wish Justices Sukstorf, Greenwood, Giltrow, Wolfe, and Bantourakis every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of British Columbia well as members of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.”
The biographies of the new justices highlight their diverse backgrounds and extensive legal experience, ranging from military law and public prosecution to Indigenous law and constitutional litigation, reflecting the Canadian population’s diversity and the judiciary’s commitment to excellence and integrity.
