A Chilliwack Crown counsel is among three new judges appointed to fill vacancies in the Fraser Region.
Andrea Ormiston was called to the bar in Ontario and British Columbia after earning a law degree from the University of Ottawa in 2001.
She served as Crown counsel both in Ontario and, since 2005, in B.C. with a focus on criminal law.
Until this appointment she was lead Crown in the Chilliwack office, and she also served on the Chilliwack Public Safety Committee.
Between September 2003 and March 2004, Ormiston interned at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Native Law Centre of Canada and the University of Vienna, where she concentrated on the international rights of Indigenous peoples.
Ormiston’s apointment is effective Nov. 6.
Also appointed is Dawn Boblin who served as Crown counsel from 1994 to 2002 and again from 2009 to the present with a focus on criminal law. In those seven interim years, Boblin worked for the City of Vancouver providing legal and operational advice to the Vancouver Police Department.
The third new judge for the Fraser Region is Mark Jetté who worked in private practice and was most recently a partner with Sutherland Jetté Barristers. He has worked as an ad-hoc prosecutor and special prosecutor, as well as for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
The three new judges replace vacancies created by two transfers to other jurisdictions and one retirement.
“Government and the public rely on judges for their integrity and impartiality and trust they will deliver fair, learned decisions,” according to a Ministry of Attorney General press release issued Oct. 30. “These qualities are essential for maintaining the public’s confidence in the courts and are a vital component of any democratic justice system.
“British Columbia’s judicial system is recognized as one of the best in the world because of the diversity, experience and knowledge of its judges.”
The process of appointing judges in B.C. involves several steps, starting with the individuals applying for the position. The candidates are then reviewed by 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, reviews the candidates.
The council recommends potential judges to the Attorney General, currently David Eby, with the final appointment made through a cabinet order-in-council.
Although judges are located in a judicial region, many travel regularly throughout the province to meet changing demands.
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