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Judges

Court of Appeal | Saskatchewan

Courts 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:

Court Of Appeal Judges SK

Chief Justice Robert W. Leurer

Chief Justice Robert W. Leurer was first appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2018. In October 2023, he was appointed Chief Justice of Saskatchewan.

Chief Justice Leurer holds a LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan (1984), where he was the Law Society of Saskatchewan Gold Medalist. Upon graduation, he clerked for Justice W.Z. Estey of the Supreme Court of Canada.  Chief Justice Leurer then joined MacPherson Leslie and Tyerman, which later became MLT Aikins, in Regina, where he was a partner until his appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2017.

Chief Justice Leurer is a past president of the Canadian Bar Association, Saskatchewan Branch, and a past Regional Chair of the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute.  He is a director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies and has been a frequent lecturer at national and regional legal conferences. He received his Queen’s Counsel designation in 2003 and was named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Justice Brian Barrington-Foote*

Justice Brian A. Barrington-Foote was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in 2018. Justice Barrington-Foote holds a B.A. in history from Simon Fraser University (1973) and a LL.B. from the University of British Columbia (1977). He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1978, the Saskatchewan Bar in 1985, and the Alberta Bar in 1992. Justice Barrington-Foote practiced with law firms in Victoria, Calgary and Regina, including as a partner in McKercher McKercher & Whitmore from 1995 to 2002 and MLT LLP from 2002 to his appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2012.

He also worked in the public service in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan, last as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General for Saskatchewan from 1987 to 1992.  Justice Barrington-Foote was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1988 and received the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005. He chaired the Court of Queen’s Bench’s Innovation and Paralegal Committees and served on that Court’s Civil Justice Committee and class action panel. He is chair of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Saskatchewan.

Mr. 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.

Madam 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.

Madam 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.

Mr. 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.

Madam Justice Meghan 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.

Madam 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.

Mr. Justice Jerome 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

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