FREDERICTON -- New Brunswick has appointed five woman judges, bringing gender parity to the provincial court, and named the first female chief judge.
Premier Brian Gallant said Judge Jolene Richard will be promoted to chief judge of the provincial court.
The five new judges will bring the total number of full-time judges to 24, bringing gender parity among full-time judges as of June 2, when Pierre Arsenault steps down as chief judge.
Joanne Durette will be based in Bathurst; Johanne-Marguerite Landry will be based in Caraquet; Natalie LeBlanc will be based in Miramichi; Lucie Mathurin will be based in Moncton; and Kelly Ann Winchester will be based in Saint John.
Four of the five graduated from the Universite de Moncton law school, while Winchester graduated from the University of New Brunswick.
The Liberal government noted seven of the eight provincial court judges it appointed since taking power in 2014 have been female.
"Studies show that when a jurisdiction advances women's equality, it helps strengthen its economy and the quality of life of its residents," Gallant said in a statement.
The Nova Scotia government last month appointed two black lawyers, an openly gay lawyer and a female Crown attorney as judges, bringing the number of full-time provincial and family court judges to 38, of which 18 are women and five are black.
