Sean Fraser Appoints Eric M. Adams to Alberta Court
Summary
Minister of Justice Sean Fraser announced the appointment of Eric M. Adams as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice Adams, a Professor of Law at the University of Alberta, succeeds Justice B.L. Bokenfohr, who resigned effective January 30, 2026. The appointment was made under the judicial application process established in 2016, which emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity.
About this source
GovPing monitors Department of Justice Canada for new courts & legal regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 10 changes logged to date.
What changed
Justice Eric M. Adams, former Professor of Law at the University of Alberta, has been appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. He replaces Justice B.L. Bokenfohr, who resigned effective January 30, 2026. Adams was called to the Alberta bar in 2021 and is a national expert in Canadian Constitutional Law and Canadian Legal History.
This appointment affects the Alberta judiciary directly and represents a routine federal judicial appointment under the 2016 judicial application process. It does not create compliance obligations for legal professionals or the public beyond the established appointment process managed by Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Alberta
From: Department of Justice Canada
News release
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016.
April 23, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 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.
Eric M. Adams, **** Professor of Law at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, is appointed a Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Justice Adams replaces Justice B.L. Bokenfohr (Edmonton), who resigned effective January 30, 2026.
Quote
“I wish Justice Adams every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he 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 and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Biography
Justice Eric M. Adams was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He earned his Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and received his law degree from Dalhousie Law School before being called to the bar in Ontario in 2002. He began his legal career practicing civil litigation at Paliare Roland LLP in Toronto. He received an SJD from the University of Toronto in 2009. Throughout his academic career, he continued to provide legal advice to public and private parties, especially on complex constitutional matters. He was called to the Alberta bar in 2021.
Justice Adams served as Professor of Law at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law in Edmonton, where he had taught Constitutional Law, Advanced Constitutional Law and Employment Law since 2007. He held many leadership roles during his academic career, including three years as Vice Dean.
A national expert in Canadian Constitutional Law and Canadian Legal History, Justice Adams has authored nearly forty articles and book chapters, as well as the book, with the historian Jordan Stanger-Ross, Challenging Exile: Japanese Canadians and the Wartime Constitution. He has won multiple awards for his teaching and research, including a Distinguished Service Award for Service to Legal Scholarship from the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and the Law Society of Alberta, the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for services to advanced education, and the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Academic Excellence Award.
Justice Adams has a passion for hockey, the outdoors, and the Saturday crossword, but his greatest joy is time with his family.
Quick facts
- Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
- 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.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Jeremy Bellefeuille
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-957-4207
Jeremy.Bellefeuille@justice.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
Search for related information by keyword: Law | Department of Justice Canada | Canada | Judicial Appointments | general public | news releases | Hon. Sean Fraser
Page details
2026-04-23
Related changes
Get daily alerts for Department of Justice Canada
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from DOJ Canada.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Department of Justice Canada publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.