Vancouver: The government of British Columbia (BC) has appointed three Provincial Court judges to help ensure timely and efficient access to justice.
The new judges are Micah Rankin, Charles Hutchison and Jodi Michaels.
Rankin will be assigned by the judiciary to Victoria. Rankin has more than 18 years of legal experience, having served as chair of the board of directors of Access Pro Bono and as pro bono counsel for several organizations, including the BC Civil Liberties Association. In 2011, Rankin was a founding member of Thompson Rivers University’s faculty of law, returning to practice in 2018 with the Ministry of Attorney General, before transitioning to the BC Prosecution Service’s Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions Unit in 2020. In recognition of professional excellence, Rankin was appointed King’s Counsel in 2023.
Hutchinson, who will be assigned by the judiciary to Prince George, brings more than 12 years of legal experience. Upon being called to the bar in 2013, Hutchinson opened a private practice in Prince George, focused on criminal defence, family law and child-protection matters. Since 2017, Hutchinson has also served as a local agent for Legal Aid BC in the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James area, overseeing intake services and working and travelling throughout northern B.C.
Michaels will be assigned by the judiciary to Dawson Creek. Michaels brings more than 13 years of legal experience across criminal, family and civil litigation. After being called to the bar in 2012, Michaels opened a practice handling criminal defence, family litigation and parents’ counsel work, as well as a broad range of civil matters, including civil forfeiture proceedings, ICBC plaintiff litigation, and residential tenancy and property disputes.
Judges are appointed after a multi-step process that starts with interested lawyers applying and the Judicial Council of B.C. reviewing 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 judges to the attorney general, with the final appointment made through a cabinet order-in-council. Although judges are assigned to a judicial region, many use technology, such as videoconferencing, for court proceedings, enabling the court to provide timely access to justice for all British Columbians. Judges also travel regularly throughout the province to meet demands.