COVID-19

Since March 2020, the Courts of the Northwest Territories have issued Directives in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. These Directives were adjusted over time, to reflect the evolution of the public health situation. The only Directive that remains in place at this point is the May 19, 2022 Directive regarding Territorial Court Proceedings in Response to COVID-19.

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories is the Northwest Territories’ highest appellate court. It hears criminal and civil appeals from the Supreme Court and Territorial Court. An appeal may be of an acquittal, a conviction and/or a sentence in criminal matters or a judgment or order, in the case of civil or family law appeals.

The decisions of the Court of Appeal are binding in all courts in the Northwest Territories. Appeals from decisions made at the Court of Appeal, where provided for by law, are addressed in the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Court of Appeal sits regularly in Yellowknife, but can sit anywhere in the Northwest Territories. An appeal panel is comprised of 3 judges. The Court of Appeal schedule can be found here.

Judges of the Court of Appeal are Judges who are appointed from among those appointed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta, the judges of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan, and the judges of the Supreme Courts of the NWT and Yukon and the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Court of Appeal rules can be found here.

Court of Appeal Judges

Order of Precedence of the Northwest Territories Court of Appeal (as of October 17, 2022)

  • Justice R. Khullar C.J.A. Chief Justice (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice M.S. Paperny (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice P.W.L. Martin (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice J. Watson (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice F.F. Slatter((Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice P.A. Rowbotham (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice N.A. Sharkey (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice J.D.B. McDonald (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice S. Cooper (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice K.M. Shaner (Yellowknife, NT)
  • Justice S.H. Smallwood (Yellowknife, NT)
  • Justice A.M. Mahar (Yellowknife, NT)
  • Justice B.M. Tulloch (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice B.L. Veldhuis (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice T.W. Wakeling (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice F.L. Schutz (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice P. Bychok (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice M.G. Crighton (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice J. Strekaf (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice E. Campbell (Whitehorse, YT)
  • Justice S. Charlesworth (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice C. Lyons (Iqaluit, NU)
  • Justice E. Hughes (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice D. Pentelechuk (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice S. Duncan (Whitehorse, YT)
  • Justice J. Antonio (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice K. Feehan (Edmonton, AB)
  • Justice K. Wenckebach (Whitehorse, YT)
  • Justice B. Ho (Calgary, AB)
  • Justice A. Kirker (Calgary, AB)

Related Pages

Scheduled matters
The list of matters set before the Courts of the Northwest Territories by location and date.