The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC) expresses its warmest congratulations to Justices Nitya Iyer, K.C. and Edlyn Laurie on their appointments to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of British Columbia, respectively. 

Justice Iyer replaces Justice L. Marchand on the Court of Appeal, who had been appointed Chief Justice of British Columbia in December of 2023, and will be the keynote speaker of our Membership Retreat next month. Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2017, Justice Iyer was a law professor at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, a member of the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, and a practicing lawyer. She was also appointed King’s Counsel in 2016.

Justice Laurie was born to Chinese-Filipino parents in Manila, Philippines, making her the first Justice of Filipino-Chinese descent and one of the first Filipino-Canadians appointed to British Columbia’s Supreme Court. Justice Laurie was a prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, practicing criminal and constitutional law. Outside of her busy litigation practice, Justice Laurie served on several committees within the Public Prosecution Service and was involved with the School for Prosecutors as a vice principal and faculty member. She also serves as a council member for Health Quality B.C. 

FACL BC is heartened to see Justices Iyer and Laurie appointed to their respective positions on the bench. After FACL BC has advocated for greater representation in our judiciary, we are glad to see the Honourable Arif Virani appoint a slate of judges who are as diverse as they are capable. A judiciary that reflects our province’s diversity and promotes access to justice is well-positioned to meet the needs of our community. We look forward to the Justices’ continued contribution to the legal profession and British Columbia.