MANITOBA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, March 7, 2014 – The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Victor E. Toews is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba to replace Mr. Justice D.P. Bryk, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of February 16, 2014.

Mr. Justice Toews received a Bachelor of Laws from Robson Hall, University of Manitoba, in 1976 and was admitted to the Bar of Manitoba in 1977.  He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Winnipeg in 2011.

Mr. Justice Toews was a Member of Parliament for twelve years and also served as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for almost five years.  He served as Minister of Public Safety of Canada (2010-2013), President of the Treasury Board of Canada (2007-2010), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (2006-2007), Justice Critic for the Official Opposition (2000-2006), Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Manitoba (1997-1999), and Minister of Labour of Manitoba (1995-1997).

Mr. Justice Toews also served as Director of Constitutional Law (1987-1991) and Crown Counsel for Criminal Prosecutions (1977-1979), Manitoba Department of Justice. In addition to this, he served as in-house counsel to the Great West Life Assurance Company in from 1991 to 1995 and again in 1999. His main areas of practice were criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law, and employment and labour law.

Mr. Justice Toews was an instructor at the Labour Studies Branch of the Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba (1988-1995) and has delivered numerous lectures and speeches to various organizations on legal and parliamentary matters.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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