Commander Sandra Sukstorf (MacLeod), LL.M. OMM, CD, Military Judge

Judge Sandra Sukstorf was raised in Coniston, Ontario. She joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1982 and has served as both a Regular and Reserve Force Officer. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Dalhousie Law School and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queen’s University. She was called to the Bar in Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia. She holds degrees from the Royal Military College: (Honours BA, Economics and Commerce) and a Master of Defence Studies (MDS); and she is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP).

Judge Sukstorf articled for Boyne Clarke, Barristers and Solicitors in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She began her military legal career in AJAG Atlantic, Directorate of Law (Military Personnel) and the Directorate of Law (Military Justice). Later, she served in the Directorate of Law (International), where she advised on NATO issues and supported CAF witness testimony and the release of CAF information to the International Criminal Tribunals for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR).

In September 2004, Judge Sukstorf accepted a position with a small privately held corporation and transferred to the Reserves. From 2004 to 2008, she served on 3 Public Boards: Vice Chair of the Cambrian College Board of Governors; Vice Chair for the Economic Development Corporation for the Greater City of Sudbury; and as a Director on the Greater Sudbury Airport Development Board. During part of this time, she practiced law with a very reputable law firm in Sudbury, Ontario.

In July 2008, she returned to the Regular Force as a legal adviser to the Strategic Joint Staff and later became Special Assistant to the Judge Advocate General. From 2012 until 2015, she served as Assistant Judge Advocate General (Central Region) (Toronto). In August 2015, she became Deputy Assistant Judge Advocate General (Pacific Region) as a Reservist.

In 1999, Judge Sukstorf deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia as Assistant Legal Adviser to the Commander of the NATO Stabilization Force (COMSFOR). She received the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. In 2002, she deployed to the Arabian Gulf on Operation Apollo (Canada’s contribution to the campaign against terrorism) as legal adviser to the Commander of the Canadian Naval Task Group.

In June, 2015, she was inducted as an Officer into the Order of Military Merit (OMM). From August 2015, she was a manager with the Law Society of British Columbia in the Professional Conduct Department until February 17, 2017 when the Governor in Council appointed her a Military Judge. Judge Sukstorf enjoys running, tennis and hockey. She is married to Simon and together they have 4 grown children.