Christine Gagnon appointed Chief Judge of the Territorial Court

Minister of Justice David Ramsay today announced the appointment of the Honourable Judge Christine Gagnon to the position of Chief Judge of the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories.

Under the Territorial Court Act, the Chief Judge is appointed to a non-renewable term of five years. The term of the current Chief Judge, the Honourable Chief Judge Robert Gorin, will expire on October 2, 2014 at 5 pm at which point the new Chief Judge’s term will take effect.

“We want to thank Chief Judge Gorin for his dedication during his term,” said Minister Ramsay. “The people of the Northwest Territories have been very well served.”

Chief Judge Gorin will continue to serve as a Territorial Court Judge once his term expires.

Judge Christine Gagnon graduated from the University of Montreal in 1987, and is fluently bilingual. Judge Gagnon was in private practice before serving as a Crown prosecutor based in Iqaluit from 2001 to mid-2006. Following that, she moved to the federal Department of Justice in Ottawa, and then to Yellowknife in June 2007 as Senior Counsel. Judge Gagnon was appointed to the Territorial Court in February, 2009.

Minister Ramsay said, “We are certain Judge Gagnon will uphold the long history of impartiality and professionalism demonstrated by the Northwest Territories judiciary and confident she will continue to promote access to justice for the residents of the NWT.”

The Chief Judge is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of the court, including scheduling the sittings of the Territorial Court and the assignment of territorial judges. The Chief Judge is also responsible for the selection and conduct of territorial judges and the supervision of justices of the peace.