SASKATCHEWAN JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, March 4, 2011 - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

The Honourable Maurice J. Herauf, a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan in Moose Jaw, is appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Saskatchewan in Regina, to replace Mr. Justice J.G. Lane, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 1, 2011.

Mr. Justice Herauf received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1986 and was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1987.

Mr. Justice Herauf was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2007. Prior to his appointment, he was Registrar of the Court of Appeal and Registrar in Bankruptcy from 1995 to 2007, Manager of the License Administration Branch for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority from 1993 to 1995 and Director of the Maintenance Enforcement Office at Saskatchewan Justice from 1988 to 1993. His main practice areas, prior to his appointment to the Queen’s Bench, were bankruptcy and insolvency, secured transactions, agricultural law and civil procedure.

Mr. Justice Herauf authored several articles that have appeared in the Saskatchewan Law Review, Saskatchewan Advocate and the Canadian Bankruptcy Reports and Western Weekly Reports. His decisions have been referred to in various authoritative textbooks on bankruptcy and insolvency law.

The Honourable Brian J. Scherman, a lawyer with Miller Thomson LLP in Saskatoon, is appointed a Judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, to replace Mr. Justice J.D. Koch, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 1, 2011.

Mr. Justice Scherman received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Economics) and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Saskatchewan, both in 1972. He was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1973 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2000.

Mr. Justice Scherman has been a partner with Miller Thomson LLP since the merger in December 2010 with Balfour Moss, where he had been partner since 1975. His main areas of practice were civil litigation with significant emphasis on corporate/commercial law, professional negligence, discipline and administrative law.

Mr. Justice Scherman served on various Canadian Bar Association committees and is a member of the Saskatchewan Bar Association. He is a member of the Canadian Petroleum Law Foundation and Chairman of the Saskatchewan Regional Board of Directors of The Nature Conservancy of Canada. He is a frequent presenter at various Continuing Legal Education seminars and was a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan from 1996 to 1998. He is active in a variety of community, civic and minor sports organizations. Since 2004, he has been the Director of YMCA Saskatoon and was a member of Rotary International for many years.

The Honourable Lian M. Schwann, Registrar of the Court of Appeal and Registrar in Bankruptcy in Regina, is appointed a Judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan in Moose Jaw, to replace Mr. Justice M.J. Herauf, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Saskatchewan.

Madam Justice Schwann received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Social Science) in 1976 from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, U.S.A., and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1980. She was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1981 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2007.

Madam Justice Schwann has been the Registrar of the Court of Appeal and Registrar in Bankruptcy since 2007. She was Crown Counsel, Civil Law Division for the Ministry of Justice from 1984 to 2007, an associate with McDougall Gauley from 1980 to 1984, and an investigator for the Office of the Ombudsman 1979. She has appeared before all levels of court in Saskatchewan, as well as before several boards and tribunals. Her main areas of practice were bankruptcy and insolvency, health, environmental, natural resource, privacy and governmental law.

Madam Justice Schwann has been a member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan since 1981 and is a current member of the Canadian Bar Association. She was chair of the Saskatchewan Crown Counsel Association (2006-2007) and sessional lecturer at the First Nations University of Canada at the University of Regina from 2003 to 2006. She was a member of Justice Employment Committee from 2001 to 2005 and was a member the Canadian Bar Association’s Gender Equity Committee from 1999 to 2001. She was a frequent presenter at seminars, workshops and in-service training events, as well as a lecturer and panellist at numerous conferences.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:

• Pamela Stephens
  Press Secretary
  Office of the Minister of Justice
  613-992-4621

• Media Relations
  Department of Justice
  613-957-4207