Former lieutenant-governor Steven Point has been appointed as a judge in Abbotsford.
The appointment was one of two announced today (Thursday) by Attorney General Suzanne Anton to help alleviate caseload pressures in provincial court.
Point takes over the position as of March 3.
From 1975 to 1999, Point served as chief of the Skowkale First Nation.
While serving as chief, he attended the University of British Columbia, where he graduated with a bachelor of laws degree in 1985.
He practised criminal law and native law as a partner at Point and Shirley Law Firm between 1986 and 1989.
He then worked for Citizenship and Immigration Canada for 10 years before being appointed to the provincial court in 1999.
Point took a leave of absence in 2005, when he was named chief commissioner of the B.C. Treaty Process.
He retired from the bench in October 2007, when he was appointed lieutenant-governor, a position he held until 2012.
Point also served as chair of the advisory committee on the safety and security of vulnerable women between December 2012 and May 2013.
The other appointed judge is Shannon Keyes, who has been assigned to Prince George, effective Feb. 25.
The process to appoint judges involves several steps, starting with applications from interested lawyers.
The B.C. Judicial Council reviews the candidates and makes recommendations to the attorney general. The final appointment is made through a cabinet order in council.