Judith Webster
Encyclopedia
Judith Webster is a former judge in Manitoba
, Canada
. She served as Chief Justice of the Provincial Court of Manitoba
from 1993 to 2001, and was the first woman to hold this position.
. She has a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Manitoba
, and a Bachelor of Laws
degree from the University of New Brunswick
in Fredericton
. Before becoming a judge, Webster was a Crown attorney
.
. Her appointment was generally recognized as a significant breakthrough for female judges in the province. As Chief Justice, Webster served on the nominating committee for new provincial judges.
She was criticized in 1994, after she transferred Judge Ron Meyers from family violence court to the rural circuit. Two days before the transfer, the Winnipeg Free Press
published an interview with Meyers in which he said that he became motivated to specialize in spousal assault cases due to witnessing domestic abuse in his family as a child. Webster described the transfer as a routine reassignment, although she acknowledged that its timing appeared suspicious. Some speculated that Meyers was punished for stepping outside the traditionally detached role of the judiciary, and a number of women's groups called on Webster to reconsider her decision.
Webster had a sometimes fractious relationship with Vic Toews
, who served as provincial Justice Minister from 1997 to 1999. In June 1999, she expressed her "profound disappointment" with what she described as "misleading and inaccurate" statements by Toews about the workload the judges. Toews refused to apologize, and said that official records backed his claims.
In 2001, Webster assigned herself to oversee an inquest into the murders of two aboriginal sisters the previous February. The sisters had telephoned the police five times, including four calls for the 911
emergency service, but police cars were only sent after the first and last calls. During this period, Webster announced that judges who preside over inquests would be allowed to set aside official work hours to write their reports. Provincial Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh
approved of this decision, saying that it would reduce delays before the reports were released.
on her position. She was formally exempt from the legislation as the incumbent Chief Justice, but argued that she should abide by its spirit and resign after eight years in the position. She remained an active judge on the provincial court.
Webster issued her report into the 911 murders in October 2002, and made several recommendations to restore confidence in the system. One of her more noteworthy recommendations was that the province should review its zero tolerance
legislation for situations of domestic abuse. The law required that police attending a domestic incident must charge the accused, even if the alleged victim did not wish to press charges or if there was no evidence of assault. Webster argued that this policy slowed police response to calls, and adversely affected the workload of other agencies. She also criticized 911's decision to identify all domestic calls as "Priority 1" after the murders, arguing that this actually created a slower response time to real emergencies.
Webster resigned from the bench in 2006.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She served as Chief Justice of the Provincial Court of Manitoba
Provincial Court of Manitoba
The Provincial Court of Manitoba hears cases relating to criminal law and family law and other statutes.- Current Judges:- Former Judges:-External links:*...
from 1993 to 2001, and was the first woman to hold this position.
Early life and career
Webster was born and raised in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. She has a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
, and a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree from the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
in Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
. Before becoming a judge, Webster was a Crown attorney
Crown attorney
Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
.
Provincial Chief Justice
Webster was appointed to the Manitoba Provincial Court in 1989 as a judge in Winnipeg. In 1993, she was named as the court's Chief Justice by provincial Justice Minister Rosemary VodreyRosemary Vodrey
Rosemary Vodrey is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1990 to 1999, and was a senior cabinet minister of the government of Gary Filmon.-Early life and career:...
. Her appointment was generally recognized as a significant breakthrough for female judges in the province. As Chief Justice, Webster served on the nominating committee for new provincial judges.
She was criticized in 1994, after she transferred Judge Ron Meyers from family violence court to the rural circuit. Two days before the transfer, the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
published an interview with Meyers in which he said that he became motivated to specialize in spousal assault cases due to witnessing domestic abuse in his family as a child. Webster described the transfer as a routine reassignment, although she acknowledged that its timing appeared suspicious. Some speculated that Meyers was punished for stepping outside the traditionally detached role of the judiciary, and a number of women's groups called on Webster to reconsider her decision.
Webster had a sometimes fractious relationship with Vic Toews
Vic Toews
Victor "Vic" Toews, PC QC MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons since 2000, and currently serves in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Public Safety. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from...
, who served as provincial Justice Minister from 1997 to 1999. In June 1999, she expressed her "profound disappointment" with what she described as "misleading and inaccurate" statements by Toews about the workload the judges. Toews refused to apologize, and said that official records backed his claims.
In 2001, Webster assigned herself to oversee an inquest into the murders of two aboriginal sisters the previous February. The sisters had telephoned the police five times, including four calls for the 911
911
Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate...
emergency service, but police cars were only sent after the first and last calls. During this period, Webster announced that judges who preside over inquests would be allowed to set aside official work hours to write their reports. Provincial Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh
Gord Mackintosh
Gordon Henry Alexander "Gord" Mackintosh is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger....
approved of this decision, saying that it would reduce delays before the reports were released.
Provincial Justice
Webster resigned as Chief Justice in October 2001, citing new provincial legislation that placed a term limitTerm limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
on her position. She was formally exempt from the legislation as the incumbent Chief Justice, but argued that she should abide by its spirit and resign after eight years in the position. She remained an active judge on the provincial court.
Webster issued her report into the 911 murders in October 2002, and made several recommendations to restore confidence in the system. One of her more noteworthy recommendations was that the province should review its zero tolerance
Zero tolerance
Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are...
legislation for situations of domestic abuse. The law required that police attending a domestic incident must charge the accused, even if the alleged victim did not wish to press charges or if there was no evidence of assault. Webster argued that this policy slowed police response to calls, and adversely affected the workload of other agencies. She also criticized 911's decision to identify all domestic calls as "Priority 1" after the murders, arguing that this actually created a slower response time to real emergencies.
Webster resigned from the bench in 2006.