Alberta’s government is taking steps to ensure timely access to justice for Albertans with the appointment of Justice Eric Tolppanen and Justice Eric Brooks as assistant chief justices, and James Sawa, Susan Borsic and Gina Toni as new justices at the Alberta Court of Justice.
Justice Eric Tolppanen and James Sawa will both serve in the Calgary Criminal Division/Calgary Region and Susan Borsic will serve in the Calgary Family and Youth Division. Justice Brooks will serve in the Southern Region, which includes the base courts in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, and regional circuit courts, while Gina Toni will serve in the Central Region, which includes the base courts in Red Deer, Camrose and Wetaskiwin.
Assistant chief justices play a crucial role in supporting the chief justice and overseeing legal matters in their respective regions. Justices hear all criminal cases under federal statutes and all offences under provincial statutes and municipal bylaws, as well as family and child protection cases and certain civil disputes. Adding these new roles to the Alberta Court of Justice will increase access to justice for Albertans dealing with civil, criminal and family matters.
“Congratulations to these outstanding jurists and legal professionals on their respective appointments. They have consistently demonstrated their deep understanding of the law and commitment to justice throughout their careers. I am confident that they will bring the same intelligence and fairness to these new roles.”
Susan Borsic, KC received a bachelor of laws (with distinction) from the University of New Brunswick in 1998 and was awarded the medal for highest standing in her law school graduating class. She spent her articles clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to her current role as manager of professional development at the Canadian Bar Association, she worked as a litigation associate at two national law firms, senior legal counsel to the Chief Justice of Alberta, senior legal counsel for the Alberta Human Rights Commission, and resolution counsel at the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta.
Justice Eric Brooks received his bachelor of laws from the University of Alberta Law School in 1986. He worked as a sole practitioner in Edmonton from 1987 to 1995, focusing on criminal and family law, and joined the Legal Aid Youth Office as a staff defence lawyer in 1995. He became a Crown counsel with Alberta Justice in 1998. He was appointed a justice with the Alberta Court of Justice in April 2011, serving the Southern Region. He also served as lead justice in the Medicine Hat Drug Treatment Court.
James Sawa received a bachelor of laws from the University of Calgary in 1991. He is currently senior counsel for the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service in Calgary, where he has held several roles since 2006, including Crown prosecutor, assistant chief Crown prosecutor and deputy chief prosecutor. Prior to working with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, he worked as an associate and partner with Valin Partners Law Firm in Ontario, a staff lawyer for the Kenora Legal Clinic in Ontario and a prosecutor for Manitoba Justice in Winnipeg.
Justice Eric Tolppanen graduated from Queen’s University Law School in 1991 with a bachelor of laws, and from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2009 with a master of laws. He worked first in private practice and then with the Alberta Securities Commission. Most of his career was as a prosecutor with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) where his roles included trial counsel, appellate counsel, and assistant chief Crown prosecutor. In 2015, he was appointed assistant deputy minister of the ACPS, a position he held until his judicial appointment in 2020. Since then, he has been president of the Alberta Provincial Justices’ Association and is a board member of the Canadian Institution for the Administration of Justice.
Gina L. Toni received her bachelor of laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 2004. She has worked as an associate and a partner with Altalaw in Red Deer, specializing in family law. She was a member of the Court of King’s Bench Family Law Consulting Committee, where she provided input on improving the efficiency of the family court. Since 2007, she has been an active member, past membership chair and current treasurer of the Association of Collaborative Law Lawyers of Central Alberta.
Quick facts
- In April 2023, the Provincial Court of Alberta was renamed the Alberta Court of Justice to better describe the relationship between the court and those seeking justice.
- In 2022, Alberta’s government created four new judicial positions in the Alberta Court of Justice, and three more judicial positions in 2023 for a total of 143 justice positions.
- The assistant chief justice appointments are for five-year terms.
- All appointments will take effect on the following dates:
- Justice Eric Tolppanen: August 28, 2024
- James Sawa: September 3, 2024
- Gina L. Toni: September 6, 2024
- Justice Eric Brooks: September 30, 2024
- Susan Borsic, KC: October 15, 2024