Mary Moreau appointed chief justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta

A woman has been appointed for the first time as chief justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Justice Mary Moreau will fill the role.

Moreau was an Edmonton lawyer who worked on numerous landmark cases involving minority language rights. She also practiced criminal law, constitutional law, and civil litigation.

She was appointed to the bench in 1994.

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She has presided over French and bilingual trials in the province, as well as serving as a deputy justice in the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

Moreau is also the former president of the Canadian Superior Court Judges Association and received the Association’s President’s Award in 2013.

She replaces Neil Wittmann, who resigned in May after 18 years on the bench.

“Chief Justice Moreau brings more than 20 years experience within this very organization to her new role,” Trudeau said in a release Tuesday. “I wish her every success as she takes the next step in her remarkable legal career.”

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The Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta hears trials in civil and criminal matters, in addition to appeals from decisions of the provincial court.

— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News