OTTAWA, ON, March 16, 2026 /CNW/ - The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Parminder K. Johal, Crown Prosecutor at the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton.  Justice Johal replaces Justice R.A. Jerke (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 15, 2025.

Quote

"I wish Justice Johal every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve the people of Alberta well as a member of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta."

— The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Biography

Justice Parminder K. Johal was born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of British Columbia and later attended the University of Victoria Faculty of Law. She was called to the Alberta Bar in 2006.

Justice Johal articled with a labour law firm in Toronto before returning to British Columbia to practice as a junior associate in labour law. After relocating to Alberta, she focused her career on the criminal justice system. As staff counsel with Legal Aid Alberta, she represented vulnerable and marginalized clients whose lives were often affected by poverty, addiction, and mental health challenges. She subsequently joined the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, where she has prosecuted cases ranging from homicides, child sexual exploitation, and high-risk offenders. She has demonstrated a commitment to advancing excellence in advocacy through education and mentorship.

Justice Johal frequently presented at Crown education seminars and served as a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. She has served on various not for profit boards, volunteered with a minor hockey league, and was a dedicated puppy raiser for a service dog organization.

Justice Johal is the proud mother of three hockey-loving sons and shares the joys and challenges of parenting with her husband, her steadfast partner whose well-timed humour brings balance and much-appreciated levity to their busy family life.

Quick Facts

• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada