November 20, 2008
New Judges Appointed To The Manitoba Provincial Court
Attorney General Dave Chomiak today announced the appointments of Wanda Garreck and Tracey Lord to the bench of the Manitoba provincial court in Winnipeg.
“I am pleased to welcome these outstanding individuals to their new positions as judges,” said Chomiak. “They personify the principles of integrity, fairness and impartiality and their experience and expertise will strengthen the foundation of our justice system.”
Garreck received her law degree from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and spent the first 10 years of her career as a defence lawyer. In 2001, she joined Manitoba Justice, prosecuting cases in the family violence unit. She has handled complex cases including homicides and child abuse matters. Since 2006, she has been prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the federal Crown.
Lord began her career with Manitoba Justice in 1991 after receiving her law degree from the University of Manitoba. Since 2000, she has managed the criminal organization prosecution unit and has worked on some of the most complex organized crime cases heard in the province. She became the head of the special prosecutions and appeals section in 2007 and has represented the province at numerous national conferences where expertise in the prosecution of gangs and organized crime was needed.
The new judges were selected from a list of candidates recommended by an independent judicial nominating committee. The committee was chaired by the chief judge of the provincial court of Manitoba Raymond E. Wyant and included three community representatives, representatives of the Law Society of Manitoba and the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Bar Association, and a provincial court judge.
The appointments are effective immediately and a swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled as soon as possible.
“The province has pursued the appointment of qualified judicial candidates that reflective the diversity of the people they serve,” said Chomiak. The provincial court currently has 39 judges, 49 per cent of whom are now women.
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