The Saskatchewan government has introduced legislation to create a new class of judges in the Court of King’s Bench, aiming to reduce backlogs and improve access to justice in the province.
The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026, introduced April 21, would allow the government to appoint an initial roster of four associate judges to handle certain civil and family matters. The move is intended to free up existing Court of King’s Bench justices to focus on criminal matters and complex cases.
Chief Justice M.D. Popescul welcomed the bill.
“We have been working with government to add associate judges to the Court of King’s Bench for some time now, and I am excited for the impact this will have on our ability to address the increasing workload of the Court.”
New positions
Associate judges would be assigned civil and family matters by the chief justice. Their appointments would run until age 70, in line with standard judicial tenure in Saskatchewan.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said the legislation responds to rising demand on the court system.
“This legislation will help address the higher caseloads we are seeing in our courts, increase capacity at the Court of King’s Bench, and improve access to justice for the people of Saskatchewan.”
The act also establishes a compensation commission and a complaint review council for associate judges. Both bodies would follow rules and procedures similar to those already in place for other Saskatchewan courts.
Broader context
The legislation brings Saskatchewan into alignment with how similar superior courts are structured in other Canadian provinces. The government says it plans to work with the chief justice to fill the four positions once the act comes into force later this year.
McLeod added that the province expects to attract strong candidates for the new roles.
“Saskatchewan is known for attracting incredibly skilled judges, and we look forward to working with the Court of King’s Bench to implement this legislation and get to work filling these positions.”
