Retired B.C. Supreme Court justice Lynn Smith appointed acting conflict of interest commissioner

B.C. has appointed an interim conflict of interest commissioner, after the lat person to hold the job died while in office.

Paul Fraser held the job from 2008 until his death in March.

The position had been vacant since then, but will now be filled by retired B.C. Supreme Court judge Lynn Smith, QC, on an acting basis.

“The special committee for appointment of a conflict of interest commissioner needs time to recommend a candidate for permanent appointment,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General in a media release.

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“The committee’s recommendation must be supported by two-thirds of the legislative assembly while the assembly is sitting, which at the earliest will be the fall 2019 session.”

Smith holds a bachelor of law degree from UBC and an honourary doctorate of laws from SFU. She served as the dean of UBC’s faculty of law from 1991 to 1997.

She served as a justice of the B.C. Supreme Court from 1998 to 2012.

The conflict of interest commissioner is an independent officer of B.C.’s legislature, and can be called on to rule on sensitive political matters.

Former commissioner Fraser was called on to rule on allegations of conflict regarding both former premier Christy Clark and current Attorney General David Eby.