Three new judges appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta

Fatima Airth has been appointed to Provincial Court, Calgary Family & Youth. She received her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary and became a member of the Alberta Bar in 1999. The majority of her legal work has been in the areas of immigration and refugee law, which included positions with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency. Prior to being appointed, she served as a full-time justice of the peace on the Provincial Court of Alberta. In 2000, she helped set up the first court within the Provincial Court of Alberta specifically designated to hear domestic violence cases.

Joshua Hawkes, Q.C., has been appointed to Provincial Court, Calgary Criminal. He received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta and became a member of the Alberta Bar in 1991. He has served in several management positions with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, and has appeared for the Crown at every criminal trial and appellate court in Canada. He was an elected bencher with the Law Society of Alberta and served in local and national sections of the Canadian Bar Association. At the time of his appointment, he was the president of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada, the oldest national law reform body in Canada.

Margaret Keelaghan, Q.C., has been appointed to Provincial Court, Calgary Criminal and Calgary Region. She received her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia and became a member of the Alberta Bar in 1991. As a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary, her primary focus was on Indigenous and human rights issues. Prior to being appointed, she served as senior managing counsel at Calgary Legal Guidance. She is also a longtime volunteer within the community, including serving as a board member for the John Howard Society and Elizabeth Fry Society, as well as a member of the Law Society Access to Justice Committee.

Fatima Airth, Joshua Hawkes and Margaret Keelaghan are accomplished and well-respected members of Alberta's legal community. Their experience and backgrounds will be a valuable asset as they move forward in their new judicial positions. I am pleased to appoint them to the Provincial Court of Alberta.

Kathleen Ganley, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Candidates for Provincial Court appointments are screened first by the Alberta Judicial Council and then interviewed by the Provincial Court Nominating Committee (PCNC). The PCNC provides its recommendations to the minister of Justice and Solicitor General.

The Alberta Judicial Council has representatives from the Alberta Provincial Court, Court of Queen's Bench, Court of Appeal and the Law Society of Alberta. It also includes two individuals appointed by the minister of Justice and Solicitor General. The PCNC has 11 members representing the Alberta Provincial Court, the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Branch and representatives of the province's legal community and the public appointed by the minister of Justice and Solicitor General.