FEDERAL COURT JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

Ottawa, April 27, 2007 - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Leonard S. Mandamin ,a Judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta sitting in Calgary, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. He rep laces the Honourable Konrad W. von Finckenstein who retired from the Federal Court.

Mr. Justice Leonard Mandamin received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1982 and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Electrical Engineering) from the University of Waterloo in 1971. Upon his graduation from law, he was awarded the Harvey Bell Memorial Award awarded annually to a graduating aboriginal law student of outstanding merit. Called to the Alberta Bar in 1983, he operated his own firm of Mandamin & Associates on the Enoch Indian Reserve in Alberta (1984-1999). While a lawyer, Mr. Justice Mandamin developed his practice expertise in diverse areas of law affecting aboriginal peoples including administrative, criminal, family, and personal injury law, as well as matters relating to treaty rights and land claims. In 1999, he was appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta in the Criminal Division ( Calgary) and assigned to sit in the Tsuu T’ina Peacemaking Court. Before his appointment, Mr. Justice Mandamin acted as Chair of the Edmonton Police Commission and as an Adjunct Professor of the School of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Geneviève Breton
Director of Communications
Minister’s Office
613-992-4621