CANADA, July 16 - The Government of British Columbia has appointed a new judicial justice to the Provincial Court to ensure timely and effective access to justice.

The new judicial justice appointed to the Provincial Court, effective July 16, 2024, is John Douglas Jevning, KC.

Jevning has practised law for more than 38 years as a well-respected senior criminal defence counsel in the Vancouver area. He has appeared at all levels of court in B.C. and the Supreme Court of Canada on civil and criminal matters, plaintiff and defendant actions, trials and appeals. He is well-known for working on long and complex criminal cases. Jevning has a depth of experience in charter issues, judicial authorizations and understanding the challenges faced by Indigenous people in the justice system.

He has co-ordinated programs and lectured for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, presented to the federal and provincial prosecution services and panel groups, and held several positions at the Canadian Bar Association. Additionally, Jevning has been a senior mentor with a national pro bono initiative that matches law-student volunteers with qualified mentors. In 2020, he was appointed as King’s Counsel. 

The Province is committed to providing equal access to justice for all residents of British Columbia. When making these judicial appointments, several considerations are considered, including the court's needs, the diversity of the bench and the specific expertise of the candidates.

Quick Facts:

• The process to appoint judges and judicial justices involves the following steps:
  • Interested lawyers apply, and the Judicial Council of B.C. reviews the candidates.
  • The council is a statutory body made up of the chief judge, an associate chief judge, other judges, lawyers and members from outside the legal profession.
  • The council recommends potential appointments to the attorney general, with the final appointment made through a cabinet order-in-council.
• Although judges and judicial justices are located in a judicial region, many use technology such as video-conferencing for court proceedings and travel regularly throughout the province to meet changing demands.

Learn More:

For information about the judicial appointment process, visit: www.provincialcourt.bc.ca