The B.C. Provincial Court welcomed four new appointments today (three Provincial Court Judges, and one Judicial Justice). Among these appointments is CDAS's President, Kasandra Cronin, Q.C., who will sit in Port Coquitlam. CDAS extends its heartfelt congratulations to the Hon. Judge Cronin, and thanks her profoundly for her years of service to the Society and the Bar.
Judge Cronin's friend and (now former) colleague, Mark Gervin, wrote the following note on behalf of CDAS:
CDAS would like to offer our collective and warm congratulations on Kasandra Cronin's appointment. While the Bar and Judge Cronin's colleagues all over this province will greatly miss standing beside her, the Profession is also elevated today as Kasandra Cronin, Q.C. becomes The Honourable Judge Kasandra Cronin.
Her Honour practiced criminal law in B.C. since she was called to the Bar in 1999. Her Honour represented clients from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in courts across the province. Judge Cronin was widely regarded as a leading advocate for Indigenous peoples throughout B.C. and Canada.
Judge Cronin helped found CDAS in 2015 and has been President ever since. In this position, she dedicated countless hours to legal education and representing the interests and rights of criminal defence lawyers and their clients. She also played an integral role in securing the Legal Aid fee increase through her work with the A.L.L. Finally, Her Honour leaves behind a great young group of counsel who, like her, are fierce defenders of their clients' interests and in making Bar better for their being there.
Judge Cronin was widely liked and respected by the Bench and Bar as an advocate, as a person to go to for legal advice on their files, and as a friend to speak to when times got tough. Her Honour will bring her integrity, her intelligence, and her experience to the Bench.