OTTAWA / EDMONTON — The federal government has appointed Linda A. Maj, K.C., currently general counsel at the Department of Justice Canada in Edmonton, as a justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in Edmonton.
Appointment fills courtroom vacancy in Edmonton
The appointment, announced Aug. 12 by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, comes as Justice P. B. Michalyshyn of Edmonton transitioned to supernumerary status effective March 3, 2026. The move restores a full complement of judges to the Edmonton bench and will affect allocation of cases across civil, criminal and administrative dockets.
Background and legal career
Maj’s legal résumé is firmly rooted in the prairies. Born and raised in the region, she earned an undergraduate degree in English and French before attending law school at the University of Saskatchewan. She was called to the Alberta bar in 1994 and spent roughly a decade in private practice in Edmonton prior to joining the federal Department of Justice in 2003.
At Justice Canada, Maj acted for a broad range of clients and levels of government, with a practice that included administrative law, criminal law and civil litigation before all levels of court. She also completed mediator certification through the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society and has worked with Indigenous groups on reconciliation-related matters.
Professional service and legal education
Maj has been active with the legal profession beyond courtroom work. Her record includes service on several Law Society committees and roles in bar education, including instructing at the Bar Admissions Course and serving on faculty for intensive advocacy training.
“I wish Justice Maj every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve the people of Alberta well as a member of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta.” — The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
What this means for litigants and courts
The addition of a full‑time judge in Edmonton can help address case backlogs and scheduling pressure, particularly in trial-level civil and criminal matters that are heard by the Court of King’s Bench. While the announcement does not specify an immediate caseload, the court’s roster changes tend to ripple through assignment lists for several months as cases are redistributed.
- New justice: Linda A. Maj, K.C., General Counsel, Department of Justice Canada (Edmonton)
- Court: Court of King’s Bench of Alberta — Edmonton
- Vacancy filled: Justice P. B. Michalyshyn (moved to supernumerary March 3, 2026)
| Milestone | Year |
|---|---|
| Called to Alberta bar | 1994 |
| Joined Department of Justice (federal) | 2003 |
| Replacement took effect (Michalyshyn supernumerary) | March 3, 2026 |
Selection process and federal role
The appointment was made under the federal judicial application process established in 2016, which the government says aims to emphasise transparency, merit and diversity in federal judicial selections. The Minister of Justice announces appointments to superior courts in provinces; newly appointed justices begin handling matters once they are sworn in and assigned.
For litigants, lawyers and court staff in Edmonton, the new justice’s combination of private practice experience, federal litigation background and training in mediation suggests a judge familiar with both adversarial trial work and alternative dispute-resolution approaches.
Further administrative details about Justice Maj’s swearing‑in date and initial courtroom assignments were not included in the announcement. Court watchers and local bar members will be watching for those particulars and for any early signals about how she will approach case management on the trial court.
This update is part of routine judicial business that shapes how Alberta’s courts manage workload and deliver access to justice in the province’s capital region.
