B.C. appoints more judges to reduce backlog

The B.C. government is appointing three new provincial court judges and reappointing three senior provincial court judges to reduce delays in courtrooms.

The senior judge reappointments provide the court with additional capacity to address the backlog of cases and support the response to COVID-19 impacts on the justice system.

The three senior judges being reappointed for a one year term, effective July 21, 2020, are:

* Jane Cartwright

* Thomas Gove

* Richard Miller

The three new judge appointments, effective Aug. 10, 2020, are:

* Wendy Bernt

* Tamera Golinsky

* Oliver Fleck

Bernt has practised law in B.C. since February 1999. She has practised exclusively in the area of child protection for the last 15 years, and recently began representing the government on child protection matters.

Golinsky has held the position of Crown counsel in Dawson Creek for 15 years. Before this, she worked in two private law firms, primarily doing family and insurance law.

Fleck is currently a Crown counsel and has held this position since 2012. He has spent most of his career as counsel for the federal government, working in the area of international trade agreements and disputes.

The chief judge determines the locations to which judges are assigned in order to meet the needs of the court.

The process to appoint judges starts with interested lawyers applying, and the Judicial Council of B.C. reviews the candidates.