6 Nunavummiut appointed to help pick territory's judges

Federal Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould has announced the members of Nunavut'snew judicial advisory committee, which will work to help address the territory's shortage of judges.

• Judicial appointments can't come soon enough for Nunavut

• 15 more deputy judges appointed to Nunavut Court of Justice

The committee, which put out calls for nominations in November of 2016, consists of representatives from Nunavut's Senior Judge, the Law Society of Nunavut and the Canadian Bar Association, and three members of the public nominated by Wilson-Raybould.

The committee will provide non-binding, merit-based recommendations to Wilson-Raybouldon federal judicial appointments. Nunavut currently has two vacant judge positions, one of which has been vacant for two years.

• Nunavut's 2 vacant judge positions won't be filled until next year

The appointees to the committee are:

• Justice Bonnie M. Tulloch, Iqaluit,representative of the Senior Judge:Appointed to the Nunavut Court of Justice in 2012, Justice Tulloch first moved to Nunavutin 1997 and has practiced criminal law as both a prosecutor and defence lawyer.
• Joseph Paul Murdoch-Flowers, Iqaluit,Law Society ofNunavut:An Inuk from Labrador with roots in Nunavik, Murdoch-Flowers is currently working as a lawyer with the national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
• Kathryn Kellough, Iqaluit,Canadian Bar Association:A staff criminal lawyerat Iqaluit'sMaliiganik Tukisiiniakvik clinic, Kellough travels across the territory representing clients facing criminal charges before the territory's court of justice.
• John M. Hickes, Rankin Inlet, public representative:A bilingual elder from Rankin Inlet, Hickeshas served three terms as mayor of the community and is currently the chief negotiator for NunavutTunngavikIncorporatedon land claims in southern Nunavut and Manitoba.
• Eliyah Padluq, Kimmirut,Public Representative: An Inuktitut-speaking elder, Padluqhas served as a board member of the Nunavut Legal Services Board and helps organize the elder food support program in Kimmirut.
• Lena Pedersen, Kugluktuk,Public Representative: The third elder on the committee was also thefirst woman elected to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly in 1970.Pedersen has had a long career in social work and counselling, working with families, children, and individuals in addictions treatment.