Judicial watchdog reviews judge for comments made to students

CALGARY The Canadian Judicial Council is reviewing complaints about a Calgary judge who admitted to making what she called inappropriate comments to university students.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kristine Eidsvik apologized to a class of second-year law students for the words she used last week at the University of Calgary.

CBC News reported that Eidsvik told the class she was uncomfortable walking into a room “full of big dark people” and that she was used to being in an “ivory tower,” away from “the riff-raff.”

In her apology, Eidsvik said that as soon as the words were out of her mouth she recognized they “could be construed as insensitive to racial minorities.”

Eidsvik made the remarks in her role as the university’s judge-inresidence and resigned Wednesday from the position. Spokeswoman Johanna Laporte says the judicial council has received two complaints about Eidsvik.