Farewell Judge Stevenson
Farewell Judge Stevenson
This is one farewell that not only impacts this Calgary criminal lawyer but will have a profound impact on many in Alberta’s legal community and beyond.
Brian Stevenson was appointed as a judge when I was but 2 years old. He started his career as a member of the judiciary after he was appointed by then-Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed in July 1974. To date, he was a sitting judge for almost my entire legal career (which has spanned decades) and was a sitting judge for the entire legal career for many who began practice before me. As I have stated previously,
It's interesting to think that Judge Stevenson not only presided over tens of thousands of criminal cases but also presided over the careers of so many people who had the privilege of appearing in his court. These people are not just the lawyers; they are the clerks, sheriffs, court administration and his fellow judges.
https://calgary-law.ca/blog/court-adjourned-farewell-justice-stevenson/
He was missed immediately upon his retirement about 14 months ago. He is even more missed today.
As reported by the Calgary Herald:
Retired Calgary Court of Justice judge Brian Stevenson died Monday after a brief hospitalization. He was 86.
I had the pleasure of conducting many cases before Judge Stevenson, and while there were occasions where I did not like the result, I always respected the decision. Judge Stevenson was more than a impactful jurist who had profound respect for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, he was clearly a terrific human being.
I think Adriano Iovinelli said it best:
“Judge Stevenson was a true gentleman, always a pleasure to appear in front of and he’ll be truly missed.”
Over the years, Calgary’s criminal law community has lost some truly special people.
Judge Stevenson is definitely one of them.
I wish to express my most sincere condolences to Alberta's entire legal community as well as to Justice Stevenson's many colleagues and friends.
Court’s adjourned and farewell.
David Chow
Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer