
Leonard Marchand. (Photo via BC Court of Appeal)
Leonard Marchand, a former Kamloops lawyer, has been named the new Chief Justice of British Columbia.
Marchand, who is from the Syilx Okanagan Nation, is the first Indigenous person to be appointed as chief justice in the province. He will also serve as Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon.
“The Honourable Leonard Marchand is a highly respected member of British Columbia and Canada’s legal community,” Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said, in a statement. “As he takes on his new role…I wish him continued success.”
“I know he brings a wealth of experience to the position and will continue to serve the people of British Columbia and the Yukon well.”
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma says Marchand has consistently demonstrated a commitment to upholding the principles of “fairness, integrity and the rule of law.”
Prior to his appointment to the BC Supreme Court in 2017, Marchand served as a judge on the Provincial Court of British Columbia in Kamloops between 2013 and 2017. In 2021, he was appointed to the B.C. Court of Appeal.
“Chief Justice Marchand has dedicated a substantial portion of his career to achieving reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples, including by advancing civil claims on behalf of residential school Survivors,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said. “In 2005, he helped negotiate and was a signatory to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.”
“He then served on the Oversight Committee for the Independent Assessment Process and the Selection Committee for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”
Marchand is the son of former Kamloops Member of Parliament Len Marchand, who was the first status Indian elected to Parliament in 1968, and the first to serve in cabinet in 1976.
He replaces former B.C. Chief Justice Robert J. Bauman, who retired earlier this year.