Hunter will serve in The Pas, while Watson will sit in Saskatoon
Lori Ann Hunter will sit as a judge of the Manitoba provincial court in The Pas, and Lisa Watson will serve as a judge of the Saskatchewan provincial court in Saskatoon.
Manitoba Provincial Court
Manitoba justice minister Kelvin Goertzen has announced Lori Ann Hunter's appointment. Hunter was called to the bar in 2012. She began her career as a crown attorney with the Manitoba Prosecution Service, working in Grand Rapids, youth court in The Pas, and the circuit court attendance in Pukatawagan, Moose Lake, Snow Lake, Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon. She has served as a member of The Pas and District Chamber of Commerce and as Aurora House women's shelter board member.
Hunter is of Métis descent and has extensive personal and professional ties to northern Manitoba. Goertzen said that Hunter's history in the community had given her a foundation to understand the unique and systemic issues that affect northern communities.
"I am confident Judge Hunter, who throughout her career has worked to improve access to justice in the north, will continue to work to uphold and strengthen the rule of law in her new role," Goertzen commented. Hunter will succeed Theresa McDonald, who retired in January.
Saskatchewan Provincial Court
Justice minister and attorney general Bronwyn Eyre has announced that Lisa Watson will sit as Saksatoon's newest provincial court judge. Watson earned her law degree from the Saskatchewan College of Law in 2009 and was admitted to the bar in 2010. She began her career with Roe and Company as an articling student and eventually became an associate. She also worked as a partner with Peszko and Watson in Saskatoon.
Watson specializes in criminal defence and is the co-president of the Saskatoon Criminal Defence Lawyers Association. She was a sessional lecturer at the Saskatchewan College of Law, wee she educated law students on criminal law matters. She has also been involved with various professional associations, including the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee, Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers Association, and Saskatoon Community Mediation Services.
"I am honoured to welcome Judge Watson to the bench," Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said. "She brings to our provincial judiciary an impressive breadth of experience and knowledge, as well as a desire to find just solutions for everyone who comes before the courts."
