Richard Hewson

Image Credit: Richard Hewson Law Office/ YouTube

RICHARD HEWSON, LISA WYATT DON NEW ROBES

VERNON - Two lawyers from the Okanagan have been appointed Provincial Court judges.

Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced the appointments of criminal law lawyer Richard Hewson and family law lawyer Lisa Wyatt on Thursday. Hewson’s appointment is effective Dec. 23, 2013, and Wyatt’s Dec. 30.

In a release, the Ministry states the appointments will help alleviate caseload pressures and improve access to the justice system. The new judges will be assigned their communities based on where there is the most pressing need.

Hewson earned his bachelor of laws from the University of Victoria in 1994 and was called to the B.C. bar in 1995. He began his law career as an articled student at Boulton Muldoon in Vancouver. He became an associate there in 1995, and in 1997 moved on to be an associate with Davidson & Co until 2000, when he became a lawyer with Richard Hewson Law Corporation. Between 2001 and 2003, he was also a legal officer with the Office of the Judge Advocate General.

Hewson’s law practice focuses on defending people charged with crimes like trafficking or production of marijuana, white collar crime, sexual or domestic assault, and dangerous or impaired driving.

Wyatt was called to the B.C. bar in 1991. She earned her bachelor of laws from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and began her career as an articled student with Porter Ramsay, later becoming an associate. In 1996, she became an associate and partner with Pushor Mitchell LLP as a family law practitioner, a position she held until 2004 when she became partner. Wyatt has also been very involved in legal and community organizations throughout her career, including being president of the Kelowna Bar Association and an elected member of the Canadian Bar Association's Provincial Council.

Lisa Wyatt

Image Credit: Lisa Wyatt

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013