By Charlene Tebbutt

McAuley sworn in as provincial court judge

May 7, 2018 | 5:00 PM

A Métis woman with roots in rural Saskatchewan has been sworn in as a provincial court judge.

Judge Mary McAuley was sworn in Friday in a ceremony at Prince Albert Provincial Court. The province announced her appointment in March.  

McAuley is one of the only female lawyers who speaks fluent Cree in the province. She will be based in La Ronge.

Friday’s ceremony was attended by judges and lawyers from across the province, including the Chief Justices from the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, Court of Queen’s Bench and the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan.

J. Ruth Fafard, a member of the La Ronge branch of the Prince Albert Bar Association, said Friday that McAuley’s appointment will inspire other young people. The opportunity to see an Indigenous woman on the bench, and hear court proceedings in Cree will help people in the north better navigate the justice system, she said.

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“It’s an exceptional appointment,” Fafard added.

McAuley worked as a waitress and hairdresser, earned a business degree and then worked as a secretary in Key Lake for 12 years. She decided to go back to school to study psychology, but switched to law when a professor suggested she would make a better lawyer.

McAuley graduated with a law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2006. She articled with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and worked as a Crown prosecutor and a defence lawyer with both Legal Aid and in the private sector. In 2012, McAuley opened her own law practice in Prince Albert.

As a young woman growing up in Cumberland House, McAuley said Friday that simply finishing Grade 12 would have been considered a success in her community. 

“I have learned that it is OK to dare to dream,” she said.  “There is so much to learn (and) I promise to do my best. I am honoured to be one of the few to serve.”

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt