March 26, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process introduced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable Lori T. Spivak, a puisne Judge of Her Majesty's Court of Queen's Bench for Manitoba, is appointed a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba. She replaces Justice H.C. Beard (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 1, 2019.
Biography
Justice Spivak received her LL.B. from the University of Manitoba in 1981 and was admitted to the Manitoba Bar in 1982. She was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench (General Division) in May 2005.
Prior to her appointment, Justice Spivak practised with the law firm of Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson in the areas of civil litigation, professional regulation and discipline, and administrative law. She was also a labour arbitrator and human rights adjudicator.
As a lawyer, Justice Spivak served as President of the Law Society of Manitoba and President of the Federation of Law Societies. She was course head of the Ethics, Professional Responsibility and Law Office Management Bar Admission Course and a faculty member of the Civil Procedure segment. Prior to becoming a judge, her volunteer work included participating in various organizations within Winnipeg's Jewish community and serving on the Board of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
During her many years on the bench, Justice Spivak has presided over a full range of cases in criminal, constitutional and civil law. She is co-chair of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Judicial Education Committee, which is responsible for planning the educational conferences and programs for the court. She has also worked with the National Judicial Institute, along with other judges, on the development of an Education Plan for new judges. She is a Board member for both the Manitoba Law Reform Commission and the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges.
Quick facts
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Since 2016, the Government of Canada has made over 250 judicial appointments.
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Canada's judiciary is internationally renowned and respected for its independence and diversity. In October 2016, the government introduced important reforms to the appointments process, aimed at strengthening the selection process. Of the individuals appointed under the new process, over half are women, eight are Indigenous, 20 identify as visible minorities, 13 identify as LGBTQ2, and three identify as persons with disabilities.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 will provide funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
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In addition, Budget 2018 provided funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.
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The funding outlined in Budget 2018 comes on top of resources allocated under Budget 2017, which created 28 new judicial positions across the country.
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In addition, the Government will invest $6 million over two years, beginning in 2018-2019, to support the judicial discipline process through which allegations of judicial misconduct are investigated. In this way, the Government will ensure that a robust process remains in place to allow Canadians to voice their concerns and submit complaints about judicial conduct to the Canadian Judicial Council and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
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Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.
