Judges

The Court of Appeal is made up of 15 full-time judges, including the Chief Justice of Alberta and supernumerary judges.

The judges of the Court of Appeal of Alberta are:

**A supernumerary judge is a judge who has retired from a full-time position but continues to work as a judge part-time.

Judges of the Court of Appeal do not sit on any other Court in Alberta.

On appointment to the Court of Appeal of Alberta, judges are also appointed to the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories and the Court of Appeal for Nunavut.

View a list of former judges of the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

How are judges appointed?

Collectively, Alberta’s judges are called the Alberta judiciary. Depending on the level of court, judges are appointed by the federal or provincial government. Alberta Court of Justice judges and Court of King's Bench of Alberta applications judges are appointed by the provincial government. Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and Court of Appeal of Alberta judges are appointed by the Federal government under the Judges Act.

To be considered for appointment, an applicant or nominee to the Court of Appeal must be a Canadian citizen and a lawyer in good standing who has been in practice for at least ten years. Advisory Committees exist in each province and territory to screen and recommend applicants to fill vacancies at superior courts. The Committee provides a list of approved candidates to the federal Minister of Justice who in turn makes recommendations to Cabinet for each appointment to the Bench.

Further details with respect to appointments to the Bench and applications for appointment as a federally appointed judge are included on the website of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada.

Judicial education

Judges receive ongoing judicial education and training year after year to ensure their continued professional development.

For more information about judicial education, visit the National Judicial Institute and Canadian Judicial Council websites.

Judicial conduct and complaints

If you believe the conduct of a Court of Appeal judge is improper or feel you have been treated unfairly, you can file a written complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC).

The CJC will review and investigate complaints against superior court judges. Complaints may result in a hearing and a recommendation for a judge’s removal from office.

The CJC does not review a judge’s decisions. If you are not satisfied with a Court of Appeal decision, an appeal may lie to the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC). For information about seeking leave to appeal to the SCC, visit their website.