Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta is adding four new judicial appointments as the province moves to increase court capacity and improve access to justice across several regions.
The provincial government announced that Marie Strauss, KC, will join the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta as an applications judge, while Jean-Pascal Siewe, Christian Banks and Timothy Burnham will become justices of the Alberta Court of Justice.
The appointments are expected to strengthen court resources in Edmonton, Calgary and northern Alberta, with officials linking the changes to efforts to support timely court proceedings and public safety.
“Marie Strauss, KC, Jean-Pascal Siewe, Christian Banks and Timothy Burnham each bring extensive legal experience, sound judgment and a strong commitment to public service,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Mickey Amery said in announcing the appointments.
New Court of King’s Bench appointment
Marie Strauss, KC, will take up her new position in Edmonton on Oct. 13.
Strauss has worked with Alberta Justice since 2014 and currently serves as assistant deputy minister of its Legal Services Division, a position she has held since January 2025. Her responsibilities include overseeing civil-law advice and strategic legal services provided to the provincial government.
Before becoming assistant deputy minister, Strauss was an executive director within the Legal Services Division from 2018 to 2025. She also served as executive director of Court of Queen’s Bench Administration between 2016 and 2018.
Earlier in her career, she worked as senior legal counsel at the University of Alberta and practised civil and commercial litigation with Bishop and McKenzie LLP.
Chief Justice Kent H. Davidson welcomed Strauss to the Court of King’s Bench, pointing to her years of public-sector legal work and experience as a practitioner and legal adviser.
Three appointments to Alberta Court of Justice
The province is also appointing three new justices to the Alberta Court of Justice.
Jean-Pascal Siewe will serve in the Calgary Criminal Division/Calgary Region, beginning Sept. 29. Siewe has been a bilingual resolution counsel with the Court of King’s Bench since 2021, where he has handled family-law matters through mediation and prepared orders and judgments in both English and French.
Before that, he operated a bilingual legal practice for nearly a decade, working on matters involving family, immigration, real estate, criminal and civil law.
Christian Banks will join the court in the Northern Region on Oct. 26. He brings more than 28 years of experience as a criminal trial lawyer and currently works as a managing lawyer with Banks Gubbins Tomlinson Law Offices in Grande Prairie.
Banks has also participated in the Legal Aid Alberta Appeals Committee and the Law Society of Alberta’s mentorship program.
Timothy Burnham is scheduled to become a Northern Region justice on Dec. 1. Burnham has practised law with Burnham Law Group since 2006 and became a partner three years later. His professional background includes family law, mediation and civil litigation, with his current practice focused on corporate matters, estate planning and real estate transactions.
He previously worked as a mediator with Alberta Justice Resolution Services and has held several leadership positions within the legal profession and the Grande Prairie community.
54 judicial appointments since 2023
The Alberta government says these appointments form part of a broader effort to increase judicial capacity. Since June 2023, the province says it has made 54 judicial appointments.
That total includes 51 appointments to the Alberta Court of Justice, covering justices of the peace, justices, assistant chief justices and a chief justice. Three applications judges have also been appointed to the Court of King’s Bench during the same period.
Chief Justice James Hunter of the Alberta Court of Justice said the new appointments would add experience to the court and contribute to efforts to maintain a justice system that is accessible and timely.
The latest appointments will take effect over the coming months, with the four judges assuming their respective responsibilities between September and December.
