Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Alberta

OTTAWA, Sept. 29, 2017 /CNW/ - The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Steven N. Mandziuk, Q.C., General Counsel at Finning (Canada), is appointed a justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. He replaces Mr. Justice T.D. Clackson (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective December 17, 2016.

Biography

Mr. Justice Steven N. Mandziuk received his LL.B. from the University of Alberta in 1991. He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1992 and the British Columbia Bar in 2002.

Justice Mandziuk began his legal career at the law firms of Bishop & McKenzie and Barr Picard in Edmonton, where he conducted a general practice with an emphasis on family law and litigation, appearing before all levels of court in Alberta. He subsequently joined the legal department at Telus Communications Inc. In 2006, he was appointed General Counsel to Finning International Inc.'s Canadian operations, establishing the Finning legal department in Canada, where he engaged in a broad commercial legal practice in all areas of the company's business. Finning International Inc. is the world's largest distributor of Caterpillar products and support services.

A passionate volunteer, Justice Mandziuk has a long history of contribution to the legal profession and to his community. He has held leadership roles on many volunteer non-profit boards, particularly in arts and sports. He has been very active with the Canadian Bar Association, serving as the Alberta Branch President in 2014-2015. At the national level, Justice Mandziuk chaired the Steering Committee of the CBA Re-Think Project from 2014 to 2016. His most recent professional contributions include membership on the Board of Directors of Pro Bono Law Alberta and serving on both the Dean's External Advisory Board and the Strategic Planning Committee at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law. Justice Mandziuk has also served his community through teaching, writing, coaching and organizing children's soccer, and in many other capacities. His contributions to his community and profession were recognized when he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2010.

Excerpts from Justice Mandziuk's judicial application will be available shortly.

Quick Facts

• Budget 2017 includes additional funding of $55 million over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and $15.5 million per year thereafter for 28 new federally appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 have been allotted to Alberta and one to the Yukon, with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions.
• To ensure a judiciary that is responsive, ethical and sensitive to the evolving needs of Canadian society, the Canadian Judicial Council will receive $2.7 million over five years and $0.5 million ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees in 15 jurisdictions have been reconstituted. Most recently, Minister Wilson-Raybould announced the composition of five new Judicial Advisory Committees on June 28, 2017.
• This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canadajudicial appointment process opened on July 14, 2017. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a thoroughly vetted list of candidates.

SOURCE Justice Canada, Department of