The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Robert W. Armstrong, Q.C., Privacy Counsel for the Calgary Police Service, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Mr. Justice Armstrong replaces Mr. Justice W.A. Tilleman (Calgary), who elected to resign effective January 12, 2021.
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"I wish Justice Armstrong every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve Albertans well as a member of the Court of Queen's Bench."
-The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Robert W. Armstrong, Q.C., grew up in Edmonton, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree (with distinction) from the University of Alberta. He then attended the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, graduating with an LL.B in 1998. He articled with the Court of Queen's Bench and the Court of Appeal of Alberta, and was called to the bar in 1999.
Mr. Justice Armstrong had a civil litigation practice with the firm JSS Barristers, where he focused on professional negligence claims, employment law, administrative law, and privacy matters. In 2015, he left private practice to join the Calgary Police Service as in-house Privacy Counsel. Mr. Justice Armstrong also served as a sessional instructor in Civil Procedure for the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary from 2011 to 2014. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2016.
In addition to his practice, Justice Armstrong served as a bencher of the Law Society of Alberta from 2015 to 2020, including a term as President of the Law Society in 2019-20. He also served on the Board of the Alberta Lawyer's Insurance Association from 2017 to 2021. Throughout his career, he has enjoyed volunteering and speaking in a variety of forums, including the Canadian Bar Association, the Legal Education Society of Alberta, and the Law of Policing Conference.
Justice Armstrong lives with his partner, Phil, in Calgary, where they enjoy cooking, curling, and volunteering as a foster family for rescued dogs awaiting adoption.
Quick facts
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At the Superior Court level, more than 430 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
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Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
