Mike Barrenger was called to the bar in 2008, after clerking at the Ontario Superior Court. He has been with the BC Prosecution Service since 2009, primarily with the Organized and Major Crime Unit. Mike has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia and at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has particular expertise in the areas of search and seizure, and privilege. Since 2018, Mike has been a member of the BCPS Post-Conviction Review Committee, which examines allegations of miscarriages of justice. For three years, he co-taught a seminar course at the UBC Allard Law School relating to the phenomenon of wrongful convictions. Mike continues to be involved with the law school by coaching a trial advocacy moot team. He also provides police training at regular intervals, including at the Team Commander training course.

Michelle Booker is Crown Counsel with Prosecution Service of B.C., Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions (CASP) in Vancouver B.C. Prior to her call to the bar in 2003, Michelle clerked for the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Following her call, Michelle practised as a commercial litigator with Fasken Martineau. In 2009, Michelle joined BCPS; she spent the next nine years prosecuting serious crime and appearing at all levels of court. In 2018, Michelle joined the Prosecution Support Unit within CASP. She now provides resource and litigation support to prosecutors across the province in the areas of firearms, sexual violence, Charter and constitutional issues. Michelle is a regular presenter at criminal law workshops, seminars and conferences. She is a faculty member with the National Criminal Law Program, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, and teaches Advanced Trial Advocacy at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Law.  Michelle is a fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a board member with the Courthouse Libraries Association of BC. Michelle is past a Chair of the Vancouver Criminal Justice Subsection (CBA).

The Honourable Thomas Albert Cromwell received law degrees from Queen’s and Oxford, practised law in Kingston and Toronto and taught law at Dalhousie University. During his time at Dalhousie, he served as Chair of the Law Faculty Council, Vice-chair of the University Senate, was active as a labour arbitrator and served as Vice-chair of the Nova Scotia Labour Relations Board. He received the Class Ring from the Law School class of 1986 and the Dalhousie Law Alumni Award for teaching excellence. After serving as Executive Legal Officer to the Chief Justice Canada from 1992 – 1995, he was appointed a judge of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal in 1997, serving there until his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada in 2008. He retired from the Supreme Court of Canada on September 1^st, 2016. Mr. Cromwell was the first recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s Louis St. Laurent Award of Excellence and is an honorary fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is the holder of four honorary doctorates in law and an award has been established in his name at the Queen’s Faculty of Law, The Honourable Thomas Cromwell Award for Public Service. He is a director of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice and of Access Pro Bono British Columbia. A member of the Bars of Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia, he now serves as senior counsel with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Ottawa and Vancouver and is on the arbitrator/mediator roster at Arbitration Place. He is a recipient of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice’s Justice Medal and of the Medal of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law. In 2017, was named a Companion of the Order of Canada for his “illustrious service as a Supreme Court justice, and for his leadership in improving access to justice for all Canadians.” In 2018, he was named by the Canadian Lawyer Magazine as of one Canada’s most influential lawyers.

Richard Fowler obtained his law degree from McGill University in 1994 after graduating with a B.Sc. from the University of Birmingham in 1989. He was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1995 and is also a member of the Yukon Bar. He has practiced almost exclusively in the area of criminal defence and has appeared in all levels of court in British Columbia and Yukon Territory. A significant portion of his practice in the last 20 years has been trials and appeals of homicide cases. In addition he was co-counsel for Premier Glen Clark during his lengthy trial, part of a team of lawyers in the Air India case, and counsel on many lengthy drug conspiracy cases. In 2011 he was awarded the Milvain Visiting Chair in Advocacy by the University of Calgary Faculty of Law and appointed Queens Counsel in 2014.

Mr. Justice S. David Frankel is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (B.Sc. (1970), LL.B. (1973)).  After articling with Guild, Yule and Company in Vancouver, he joined what was then known as the Criminal Prosecutions Section of the Department of Justice on November 1, 1974, where he remained for 32 years.  During that time he appeared before all levels of court.  Mr. Justice Frankel developed an appellate litigation practice, appearing regularly before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, and the Court of Appeal of Yukon.  He was appointed Queen's Counsel by the Attorney General of Canada in 1988, and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2005.  He served as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia Law School for 20 years, where he taught Advanced Criminal Procedure.  Mr. Justice Frankel was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 2, 2007.  On May 10, 2007, he was translated to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Court of Appeal of Yukon.

Chief Judge Gillespie was born and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She received her law degree from the University of Toronto and was called to the BC Bar (licensed to practise law in BC) in 1991. Soon after that, she began her legal career as Crown Counsel working in New Westminster, Surrey and Burnaby. From 2000 until 2003, she served as Administrative Crown Counsel in Surrey. She then became Deputy Regional Crown Counsel, and in 2005 Regional Crown Counsel for the Fraser Region. Appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2009, Chief Judge Gillespie was sworn in as a Provincial Court judge in February 2012.

Following her appointment she presided in the Fraser Region. In addition to sitting assignments, Chief Judge Gillespie was active in delivering education programs to judges and judicial justices, as well as to the larger legal community. She also served as a member of the executive of the BC Provincial Court Judges Association for several years.

Chief Judge Gillespie was appointed an Associate Chief Judge for a two year term in April 2016 and re-appointed for a three year term in April 2018. A member of the Board of Directors of the Justice Education Society, she has participated in a Justice Education Society project to strengthen the criminal justice system in Guyana.

She was appointed Acting Chief Judge on May 7, 2018 and appointed Chief Judge on October 19, 2018.

Chris Greenwood is senior general counsel at the PPSC. He has been a federal prosecutor for over 25 years and has a wide range of trial and appellate experience having appeared at every level of court in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Jennifer Horneland is Crown Counsel with the BC Prosecution Service.   Jennifer obtained her LLB from University of Victoria in 2004 and then clerked at the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Following her call to the bar in 2006, Jennifer practiced at a large national law firm for two years before joining the BCPS in 2009.  From 2009 to 2017, Jennifer appeared at all levels of court and at the BC Review Board, and primarily prosecuted serious violent offences. From 2017 - 2018, Jennifer was a member of the intimate partner violence team.  Jennifer's current practice includes conducting criminal and regulatory appeals and detention and bail review hearings at the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Jennifer has been the acting Administrative Crown Counsel at the Vancouver Regional office and the acting Articling Student Coordinator for Region 2 (Vancouver) of the BCPS. She is a regular presenter with the Justice Education Society and has been a guest instructor for the UBC Law Trial Advocacy Course. 

Judge Lopes was called to the bar in 1999.  She then worked as a prosecutor for the B.C. Prosecution service until she was appointed in 2018.  Judge Lopes performed a variety of roles as a prosecutor including trial prosecutor, an early resolution/arraignment prosecutor, an administrator, a special resource to the police, and a major crime trial prosecutor.  Judge Lopes was a long-time executive board member on the British Columbia Crown Counsel Association and the Canadian Association of Crown Counsel.  Judge Lopes was appointed to the British Columbia Provincial Court with chambers in Surrey. 

Judge Lopes has been a regular speaker at the CBA Criminal Justice Conference over the last ten years. 

Rob Macgowan, BA (UBC ’02), LLB (Queen’s ’05), was called to the bar in 2006. He both articled for and later practised alongside Shelley Sugarman, KC, defending criminal cases in all levels of court in B.C. and elsewhere. In 2008, he joined the Crown Counsel office in Abbotsford, where he remains as a prosecutor on major cases. During his time with the Crown, Rob has primarily engaged in trial work, prosecuting cases ranging from the theft of an Elmo doll (true story) to first degree murder. He also lectures regularly at the RCMP’s Pacific Regional Training Centre.

Matthew Nathanson is a criminal defense lawyer practicing in downtown Vancouver.  He has argued cases at all levels of court in British Columbia and in the Supreme Court of Canada.  Much of his practice is now dedicated to complex criminal cases.

Gloria Ng is the co-founder of the firm, Platform Litigation, a criminal defence firm proudly led by two women of colour.

Gloria was called to the bar in May 2009 after graduating from the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Law. She has represented clients facing a variety of criminal charges and has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

As part of her trial practice, Gloria regularly mounts constitutional challenges in areas such as: Search and Seizure, Unlawful Arrest and Detention, Right to Counsel and Right to Silence. Gloria also has extensive experience challenging technological evidence (cellular and computer data) as well as dealing with Vetrovec witnesses. Since 2019, Gloria also regularly acts as complainant counsel in cases involving applications pursuant to ss. 276-278 of the Code.

Gloria is the President of the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society (CDAS), a member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, the Trial Lawyers’ Association of British Columbia and the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers (ALL). Gloria also volunteers as a Principal with UBC’s Criminal Clinic providing students with guidance and mentorship as they work on criminal cases throughout Greater Vancouver.

Alexandra Rice is senior counsel and a team leader in the Organized Crime group at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, British Columbia Regional Office. She was called to the bar in British Columbia in 2007 and has practiced with the federal crown ever since. Alexandra has extensive experience litigating complex drug and organized crime files involving a wide range of Charter issues. She also frequently provides training to lawyers and investigators on numerous topics including evidence, disclosure and search warrants.

Justice Saull was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench (General Division) on February 10, 2010. Before his appointment, Justice Saull had been a prosecutor with the Department of Justice (Manitoba) for some 31 years. As Senior General Counsel, he was responsible for the prosecution of major jury trials and appeals in both the Manitoba Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice Saull taught for 15 years at the University of Manitoba Law School in "Advanced Advocacy" and coached the University of Manitoba team at the MacIntyre cup and the Sopinka Cup. He has lectured throughout his entire career for various law-related agencies and was active in many professional organizations prior to his appointment. Justice Saull was a member of the Sopinka Cup National Trial Advocacy Competition Organizing Committee for 10 years. As well, he served for 13 years on the Faculty of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada National Criminal Law Program.

Mark is a Crown Counsel with the B.C Prosecution Service, Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions, in the Organized and Major Crime Unit. He has been a prosecutor for over 20 years.; After being called to the B.C. Bar in 1997, he practiced civil litigation at Guild, Yule and Company, and then at the Immigration section of the Department of Justice. He joined the Criminal Law section of DOJ (later the PPSC) in 2001, and did mostly drug prosecutions, as well as the Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Klemtu circuit court. Mark joined the Provincial Crown in 2008, and the Organized Crime Unit (now OMC) of CASP in 2009.  Since then, he has prosecuted a variety of offences including murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, firearms, and robbery. He has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia. Most recently, he has served as lead counsel on two lengthy trials designated as major cases by the BCPS. He has been a wiretap agent since 2013, and a contributing author to the Working Manual of Criminal Law since 2020.

Appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in June, 2017.

Prior to that, Justice Tammen practiced in British Columbia for 28 years, primarily in the field of criminal law, and also administrative law.  Known mainly as a criminal defence lawyer, he was also a full time prosecutor early in his career, and later, was occasionally retained as a Special Prosecutor.  Appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2013. 

Kevin Westell is a founding principal at Pender Litigation. In addition to his criminal and regulatory defence work, he is often retained to act as Crown Counsel, counsel for witnesses in criminal proceedings and as amicus curiae. He has represented clients and the Crown in jurisdictions across Canada on matters at of all levels of seriousness and has argued on behalf of clients at every level of court including the Supreme Court of Canada  He has served as an elected Bencher for Vancouver County since January 29, 2021 and currently chairs the CBA National Criminal Justice Section.

Janet practiced criminal and constitutional law at a boutique litigation firm in Vancouver before her appointment to the B.C. Supreme Court in 2017.

Before her appointment to the trial court, she spent several years as an adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law teaching the Trial Advocacy session. She has been one of the instructors for the Allard School of Law’s Advanced Advocacy course for over a decade. Her involvement with this course continues. She has been a frequent lecturer at law conferences including the CLE Winning Advocacy Skills Workshops, the CBA National Criminal Law Conference and B.C. Civil Liberties Association Conference on Constitutional Issues in Criminal Law.

In 2012 and 2013, she travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to assist with training of judges, prosecutors, police and public defenders as part of a program developed by the Justice Education Society. The program was intended to provide support and training to the Ethiopian practitioners to create and implement a curriculum to assist their adjudication of gender-based offences.

In 2014, she was appointed a fellow of the International Society of Barristers.

Rachel Wood is an associate at Peck and Company and maintains a criminal and administrative law practice. She has experience defending a wide range of criminal charges, including sexual offences, large drug trafficking prosecutions, and homicides, and has acted as counsel on both sentence and conviction appeals. Rachel has also acted as counsel for complainants in sexual assault matters, has been retained as ad hoc Crown counsel, and has been appointed as amicus curiae in a variety of proceedings.

Before joining Peck and Company, Rachel practiced with a leading criminal defence firm in Winnipeg where her practice took her all over Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. During this time, she also represented parents and children in child protection proceedings.

Rachel received her J.D. at the University of Manitoba. She was a summer fellow at Innocence Canada and an intern at the Public Interest Law Centre. Rachel also has a B.A. in Political Studies and Criminology. Prior to her legal career, she worked in community development in Winnipeg's inner-city neighbourhood.