October 24, 2011 - Ms. Karan Shaner has been appointed to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. Until her appointment Thursday, by Canada’s Minister of Justice, the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Ms. Shaner was serving as the Assistant Deputy Minister (Attorney General Branch) of the GNWT’s Department of Justice.

In congratulating Ms. Shaner on her appointment, Premier Floyd K. Roland highlighted her commitment to the public service – in particular, her work to make family law and legal aid systems more accessible and sustainable and the development of a pilot court-based program to address family violence.

“The impact of Ms. Shaner’s work will be long-lasting and will benefit all communities in our Territory. Her invaluable legal advice and support will certainly be missed within the GNWT, but will be a strong addition to our excellent Supreme Court bench," he said.

“I would like to thank Ms. Shaner for her years of service and for taking on this challenging role,” added Minister of Justice Jackson Lafferty. “Her appointment and wealth of experience in the North serves to strengthen the continued understanding and life-long commitment of Supreme Court Justices to the people of the NWT.”

Ms. Shaner joined the Department of Justice’s Legal Division in 1996, was promoted to the Director’s position in 2003, and became the Assistant Deputy Minister (Attorney General Branch) in 2008. She leaves the GNWT immediately, and her swearing-in will be scheduled at a later date by the NWT Supreme Court.

For more information, please contact:

James MacKenzie
Office of the Premier and Executive Council
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 669-2302