Five new judges for Court of Queen’s Bench

Calgary’s Jim Eamon, Jolaine Antonio among feds’ judicial appointments

Alberta is getting five new federally appointed judges to Court of Queen’s Bench — but losing two to the province’s top court.

Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould announced Thursday two new judicial appointments in Calgary and three in Edmonton.

All five are replacing judges who have recently chosen to work as supernumerary members of the bench, meaning they only work half schedules.

The two new Calgary judges are Jolaine Antonio and Jim Eamon.

Eamon is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Calgary office.

According to the firm’s website, he practises in the areas of commercial litigation, public and administrative law, insurance, and professional liability.

It says he’s also available to act as a mediator or arbitrator in civil disputes.

He has practised civil litigation since 1986 with an emphasis on corporate, securities and commercial matters, corporate directors’ and officers’ responsibilities, professional negligence and disciplinary matters (primarily lawyers, accountants, and securities dealers/ advisers), providing defence in securities commission proceedings, and public and administrative law, the website says.

Antonio has been a Crown prosecutor in the appeals branch in Calgary since 2008 and has been a Crown lawyer since she was called to the bar in Alberta in 1995.

Her most recent case was arguing against convicted torturer Dustin Paxton’s appeal of a conviction for sexually assaulting and brutally beating his roommate.

That decision is still being considered by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Leaving the Calgary division of the Court of Queen’s Bench is Jo’Anne Strekaf who, along with Edmonton Justice Michelle Crighton, is being elevated to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Neil Wittmann was not available for comment Thursday, but in the past has described the lack of judicial appointments by the federal government as a “crisis” in the province.

Wittmann’s concern is based on the fact Alberta has the lowest per capita number of federally appointed judges in the country.

That, coupled with a recent Supreme Court decision setting a 30-month period for trials to be held in the higher court, has put many cases in jeopardy of being tossed because of undue delay.

The new Edmonton judges are George Fraser, Kevin Feehan and Bonnie Bokenforh.

Fraser was a Crown prosecutor, Bokenforh interim executive director for the Edmonton Police Commission and Feehan a civil litigator.