HEAVYWEIGHT APPOINTMENT

Olympic boxer de Wit among four new judges

Willie deWit, an Olympian and former world amateur heavyweight boxing champ, is among four new federally appointed judges announced Friday.

DeWit and civil lawyer Michele Hollins will replace two outgoing judges in Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench.

Calgary provincial court Judge Marilyn Slawinsky will be returning to her roots in Red Deer, while Edmonton civil lawyer Ritu Khullar has been appointed to sit in Edmonton Court of Queen’s Bench.

DeWit was already famous in Canada before he became a lawyer in 1995, having won the world amateur heavyweight boxing championship in 1983. That followed a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1982. DeWit also won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Among the high-profile cases deWit has been involved in was successfully defending murder suspect Garrett Smith, who was acquitted by a jury in the beating death of a Colombian national on a Calgary street. DeWit has also been involved in defending members of the Calgary Police Service.

He said he’s looking forward to a new chapter in his life.

“I’m honoured to get the appointment, obviously,” deWit said.

“It’s a different stage in my life. A judge (appointment) seems like a logical next step.”

DeWit replaces Justice Marsha Erb, who took a part-time position in November.

The announcements, along with a commitment to fund 12 more superior court judges by the federal government, were met with delight by Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley.

She said Ottawa had previously committed to seven new judges and the additional 12 will eliminate the province’s current deficit of 19.

Ganley said the appointments will help the justice system deal with a backlog of cases that has resulted in some criminal matters being stayed because of a Supreme Court decision setting hard deadlines for trials to be completed.

“All those appointments will help,” she said. “I think every little bit will help.”

Hollins’s practice has primarily focused on civil and commercial litigation. She has been extensively involved with the Canadian Bar Association, acting as president in 2014-15.

Hollins will replace Justice Jo’Anne Strekaf, who was elevated to the Court of Appeal in October.

Slawinsky was appointed to Calgary provincial court in September 2015, after more than 20 years as a civil litigant in Red Deer.

She will replace Justice Kirk Sisson, who retired in January, while Khullar replaces Justice Michelle Crighton, who was also elevated to the appeals court.