The BCFNJC and FNLC Congratulate Honourable Leonard Marchand, Jr.’s Appointment as Chief Justice of the B.C. Supreme Court and the Yukon Court of Appeal

December 11, 2023

Okanagan Syilx Territory, Westbank BC: The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) and the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) celebrate the Honourable Leonard Marchand, Jr.’s appointment as Chief Justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court and Chief Justice of the Yukon Court of Appeal.

Chief Justice Marchand is Sylix, specifically a member of the Okanagan Indian Band. Chief Justice Marchand’s appointment is another milestone in a trailblazing career that has consistently demonstrated his expertise, integrity, compassion, and commitment to reconciliation and justice.

In 2021 Chief Justice Marchand became the first First Nations person appointed to the B.C. Court of Appeal and only the second Indigenous Court of Appeal justice to be appointed nationally. Prior to his appointment to the B.C. Court of Appeal, in 2017 Chief Justice Marchand was appointed as the first First Nations Justice to the B.C. Supreme Court, and in 2013 Chief Justice Marchand was first appointed to the B.C. Provincial Court.