Prince Rupert will be seeing a new judge sitting on the bench starting Aug. 12.
On July 9, Judge David Patterson was appointed by the B.C. government as the new provincial court judge and assigned to the northern region with chambers in Prince Rupert.
“On behalf of the Court, I wish to congratulate our newest colleague on his appointment and welcome him to the Provincial Court of British Columbia,” stated Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie.
Judge Herman Seidemann III, who worked as the provincial court judge in Prince Rupert for 18 years, retired in June after a 40 year career.
READ MORE: Case closed on an illustrious career, Judge Herman Seidemann is retiring
Patterson was called to the B.C. bar in 1993 after receiving his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of British Columbia a year prior.
His legal career was mostly spent as a prosecutor but Patterson has also dived into criminal defence, family law, real estate transactions and civil litigation.
In 2001, Patterson became a partner at MTC Law, a firm serving the community of Fraser Valley. Nine years later, he served the Public Prosecution Service of Canada as the legal agent for the Surrey, New Westminster and Port Coquitlam courthouses.
During his spare time Patterson served on the board of a local youth non-profit and taught at the Simon Fraser University as a sessional instructor.
“Government and the public rely on judges for their integrity and impartiality, and trust they will deliver fair, learned decisions. These qualities are essential for maintaining the public’s confidence in the courts and are a vital component of any democratic justice system,” stated the Ministry of Attorney General.
READ MORE: B.C. court asks Crown for more specifics on when fish died during port construction
To be appointed as a judge, interested lawyers apply and the Judicial Council of B.C. — a statutory body made up of the chief judge, an associate chief judge, other judges, lawyers and lay people — then review the candidates and make a recommendation to the attorney general.
The final appointment is made through a cabinet order-in-council and the chief judge then determines which location to assign the new judges based on the needs of the court.
Judge Patterson will be sworn in on August 12.
Jenna Cocullo | Journalist
Send Jenna email
Like the The Northern View on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
