June 26, 2015 – Ottawa, ON – Department of Justice.
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 Frederica L. Schutz, a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal of Alberta to replace Mr. Justice J. Côté (Edmonton), who will reach the age of retirement on August 14, 2015.
Madam Justice Schutz was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in 2013. Prior to her appointment, she had been with the firm Emery Jamieson LLP in Edmonton since 1991 and had been a partner since 1997. Her main areas of practice were personal liability litigation, personal injury and commercial law.
Madam Justice Schutz received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1990 and was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1991. She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2009.
This appointment is effective August 14, 2015.
The Honourable Richard A. Neufeld, a lawyer with Dentons Canada LLP in Calgary, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta to fill a new position created by Bill C-31.
Mr. Justice Neufeld, from Calgary, Alberta, was a lawyer with Dentons Canada LLP (previously known as Fenerty, Robertson, Fraser and Hatch) from 1979 until his appointment. He practised primarily in the areas of energy regulatory, environmental, and Aboriginal law. He is the former Chairman of the Canadian Institute of Resources Law and was a member of the board of directors of the Alberta Chamber of Resources. He is the author of the Alberta chapter of Carswell's Law of Contaminated Sites in Canada.
Mr. Justice Neufeld received a Bachelor of Laws in 1979 from Dalhousie Law School and was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1980. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2008.
The Honourable John William (Bill) Hopkins, a sole practitioner in Rocky Mountain House, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, to replace Mr. Justice B.R. Burrows (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of November 10, 2014.
Mr. Justice Hopkins, from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, was in-house counsel with Chatters Canada Ltd. until his appointment. Previously, he had been a sole practioner from May 2013 to May 2014; partner with Woollard Hopkins & Company from 1991 to 2013 and an associate from 1988 to 1991. Prior to this, he articled and practiced with Gordon Smith and McCrimmon in Medicine Hat, Alberta from 1986 to 1988. He practised primarily in the areas of matrimonial and real estate law and wills and estates. He was a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and the Central Alberta Collaborative Lawyers Association.
Mr. Justice Hopkins received a Bachelor of Arts in 1981 from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Laws in 1986 from the University of Ottawa. He was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 1987.
Appointments to the country's Superior Courts not only reflect the rich and diverse social fabric of our country, but also take into consideration the merit and legal excellence of each individual jurist. Through these appointments, the Government of Canada has demonstrated an awareness of the need to bring greater gender balance to the bench, to help ensure that the judiciary is more representative of Canadian society.
Except where otherwise stated, these appointments are effective immediately.
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