Judges
Court of Appeal | SaskatchewanCourts of Saskatchewan
Judges
Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan consists of the Chief Justice and 7 puisne judges. Judges of the Court sit in panels of 3, 5 or 7 to hear appeals of decisions by the trial courts (Provincial Court and Court of King’s Bench) and certain administrative tribunals.
The Court is located in Regina, however, sittings are regularly scheduled in Saskatoon.
The Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan members are:
The Honourable Chief Justice Robert W. Leurer
Chief Justice Robert W. Leurer was named Chief Justice of Saskatchewan in October 2023.
Chief Justice Leurer was elevated to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2018, after being appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan in 2017.
Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Chief Justice Leurer was a senior litigation partner at MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP (now MLT Aikins) in Regina. Before entering private practice, he served as a law clerk to the Honourable W.Z. Estey of the Supreme Court of Canada. Chief Justice Leurer attended McGill University and then obtained his law degree in 1984 from the University of Saskatchewan, where he was the Law Society of Saskatchewan’s Gold Medalist. He was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1986.
During his legal career, Chief Justice Leurer carried on a diverse litigation practice. He argued leading cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada and in trial and appeal courts throughout Western Canada. He was a regular speaker at national and regional legal conferences and was recognized in Chambers, Best Lawyers in Canada, Best Lawyers in America and The Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory for his expertise in class actions, insurance law and commercial litigation. In recognition of his professional capabilities and contributions to his community and profession he was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003 and named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2011.
Prior to his appointment as a judge, Chief Justice Leurer served as President of the Canadian Bar Association, Saskatchewan Branch, as Regional Chair of the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute and on many other boards and committees at the local, provincial and national level. He is currently a director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, a member of the Canadian Judicial Council and chairperson of the Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judicial Council.
The Honourable Justice Naheed Bardai
Justice Naheed Bardai was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2024. He holds a degree in Social Sciences and Law from the University of Ottawa and he was called to the Ontario bar in 2001 followed by the Saskatchewan bar in 2004.
Justice Bardai began his law career with the Ottawa law firm of Nelligan O’Brien Payne, where he practised in the areas of civil litigation, construction, and condominium law. Justice Bardai then went on to partner in the civil litigation group of MLT Aikins LLP for 15 years. His litigation experience includes handling civil trials in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, on a host of issues. Justice Bardai was appointed to the Court of Queens’s Bench for Saskatchewan in 2020.
Justice Bardai has served as President of the Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers Association and has conducted seminars for the Canadian Bar Association’s civil litigation section and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) articling student program. Justice Bardai is fluently bilingual in French and English.
The Honourable Justice Neal W. Caldwell
Justice Neal W. Caldwell was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2010. Justice Caldwell holds an LL.B. with distinction (1995) and a B.A. in history (1992) from the University of Saskatchewan. He articled to Chief Justice D.K. MacPherson of the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan. Prior to his appointment, Justice Caldwell was a partner in the Saskatoon office of McDougall Gauley LLP. He is a former member of the law societies of Saskatchewan and British Columbia and was a registered trademark agent.
Justice Caldwell was twice a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law and acted as a facilitator for the Saskatchewan bar admissions course. He also served as an executive member of the Saskatchewan Police Commission. Justice Caldwell is published in corporate law, personal property security, electronic commerce, privacy, and regulatory compliance. He proudly hails from Meadow Lake, in northern Saskatchewan.
The Honourable Justice Jillyne M. Drennan
Justice Jillyne M. Drennan was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2022. She earned her B.A. in English and Political Studies in 2002, and then her LL.B. in 2005 from the University of Saskatchewan. Called to the Bar in 2007, she began her career in private practice, primarily in the areas of family law and civil litigation. She later conducted child protection litigation, acting as Crown counsel for the Ministry of Social Services. She was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench in June 2022.
At the time of her appointment, Justice Drennan was the Legal Director of the Regina Rural Legal Aid Office. She regularly appeared at all levels of court in Saskatchewan, practicing primarily in the areas of criminal, family and child protection law. In the course of her practice, Justice Drennan worked closely with various community organizations and First Nation groups to address the socioeconomic and other challenges faced by marginalized individuals involved in the justice system. She led a Legal Aid initiative to provide broader representation to parents involved in child protection proceedings.
Justice Drennan has presented on advocacy and evidence issues at various continuing legal education forums. She is a past bencher of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and a volunteer with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan. She lives in Regina with her daughter and her dog.
The Honourable Justice Georgina Jackson*
Justice Georgina R. Jackson was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 1991. Justice Jackson received a Bachelor of Arts, Campion College (1973), and an LL.B (1976) from the University of Saskatchewan. She was admitted to the bar in 1977. Immediately prior to her appointment to the Court of Appeal, Justice Jackson was a partner with MacPherson, Leslie and Tyerman, having previously served as a Crown Counsel and then the Master of Titles and Executive Director of the Property Registration Branch with the Saskatchewan Department of Justice.
She was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1991. Justice Jackson has served as co-chair of the National Advisory on Judicial Ethics, and has written and lectured extensively on that topic. She wrote the judicial ethics training program for new judges in Morocco, and taught annually for 12 years at Germany’s Judicial Academy (Deutsche Richteracademie). Justice Jackson has organized numerous national seminars for judges. She is the past president of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice and has held a variety of other board positions. She has written a number of manuals and articles, in French and English, and speaks regularly on a variety of legal topics.
The Honourable Justice Jeffery D. Kalmakoff
Justice Jeffery D. Kalmakoff was appointed to the Court of Appeal in May of 2019. Justice Kalmakoff holds an LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan (1993). He was called to the Bar in Saskatchewan in 1994. After a brief period in private practice, Justice Kalmakoff was hired as a Crown Prosecutor by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice in September of 1994.
He held that position until October of 2009, when he was appointed as a Judge of the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan. Justice Kalmakoff served on the Provincial Court until his was appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan in 2015. During his time on the Court of Queen’s Bench, Justice Kalmakoff was a member of that Court’s Criminal Practice Committee, and the Chair of its Education Committee.
The Honourable Justice Keith D. Kilback
Justice Keith D. Kilback was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2024. He attended the University of Saskatchewan, earning a B.A. in 1990 and a J.D. in 1994. He was called to the Saskatchewan bar in 1995, followed by the British Columbia bar in 1997.
Justice Kilback practiced law as a partner with Kanuka Thuringer LLP in Regina, practicing in the areas of civil litigation, administrative law, and transportation law. Justice Kilback was appointed an inquest coroner in 2008 and has presided over inquest hearings In Saskatchewan. He was appointed a Justice of the Court of King’s Bench in 2021.
Justice Kilback is a former director of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, and was recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert as a leading practitioner in the area of transportation law. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 2018. Justice Kilback has appeared at every level of court in Saskatchewan, as well as at the Federal Court, the Tax Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Honourable Justice Meghan R. McCreary
Justice Meghan McCreary was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2022. She earned her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1998, after obtaining a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Saskatchewan. She clerked for the Chief Justice of Saskatchewan before being called to the Bars of Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Justice McCreary practiced in the areas of labour, employment, workplace human rights and administrative law. She was a partner with MLT Aikins LLP in Regina, and received her designation as Queen’s Counsel in 2017. In 2018, she was appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan. While in practice, Justice McCreary took an active role in the community – both the legal community and the broader community at large. She was an executive board member of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, frequently presenting on topics within her area of practice. She chaired the Saskatchewan Arts Board and the Globe Theatre Society, as well as acting as a trustee of the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. She is married and the mother of one fantastic son.
The Honourable Justice Lian M. Schwann *
Justice Lian M. Schwann was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2017. Justice Schwann received a Bachelor of Arts in 1976 from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, U.S.A., and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1980. She was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1981 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2007. Justice Schwann began her legal career as an associate with McDougall Gauley. She was a senior Crown Counsel with the Civil Law Division for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, and the Registrar of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan and Registrar in Bankruptcy. In 2011, Justice Schwann was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench as the resident judge for the Judicial Centre of Moose Jaw, and in 2016 was transferred to the court’s general division in the Judicial Centre of Regina.
Justice Schwann has served in various capacities with the Canadian Bar Association. She was chair of the Saskatchewan Crown Counsel Association, and a member of Justice Employment Equity Committee. Justice Schwann was also a sessional lecturer at the First Nations University of Canada at the University of Regina teaching a class in Environmental and Public Health Law and Ethics. She is a frequent presenter at seminars, workshops and in-service training events, as well as a lecturer and panelist at numerous conferences.
The Honourable Justice Jerome A. Tholl
Justice Jerome A. Tholl was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2019. Justice Tholl holds a Juris Doctor, with great distinction (2000), from the University of Saskatchewan, where he was the Law Society of Saskatchewan Gold Medalist, and a LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School (2008). He received a Bachelor of Administration, with distinction, and a Certificate in Computer Science (1995) from the University of Regina. Justice Tholl obtained a professional accounting designation, and currently holds the designation of Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, non-practicing.
Prior to his appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2013, Justice Tholl spent his career with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice where he worked in civil litigation and in criminal prosecutions. While in practice, Justice Tholl was involved with the Canadian Bar Association, including acting as Chair of the Public Law and Criminal Law Sections. He also taught business law at the University of Regina from 2000 to 2009, volunteered his time as Chair of the Saskatchewan Crown Counsel Association and was a member of the University of Regina Senate.
* Supernumerary judge
