A new judge hiring is aimed at providing more timely access to justice in Nanaimo. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

new judge

New judge appointed to backlogged Nanaimo provincial court

Jan 8, 2026 | 5:53 AM

NANAIMO — A newly appointed judge is into her first week on the job at Nanaimo’s overburdened provincial court.

Christina Proteau, previously a Port Alberni-based Crown prosecutor, was appointed to Nanaimo Law Courts to serve as a provincial court judge effective Monday, Jan. 5.

Proteau has over 15 years of legal experience. She was appointed to the position of regional administrative Crown counsel in Port Alberni in 2018.

Typically, newly hired judges job-shadow sitting judges before ruling on cases.

According to the Ministry of Attorney General, hiring new judges supports the government’s “commitment to timely and efficient access to justice.”

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Nanaimo’s courthouse is among the busiest in the province, as evidenced by Provincial Court of BC reports tracking the amount of time it takes for criminal, family, and small claims matters to proceed to trial.

The most recent semi-annual report to the end of Sept. 2025 outlined continuous strain felt by the provincial court system across B.C., with Nanaimo featuring heavily in the data.

The Harbour City’s provincial court system most recently reported delays averaging between seven and 11 months for cases to proceed to trial in a dozen categories, similar to data relayed earlier in 2025.

Nanaimo’s metrics in all categories surpass provincial averages and Provincial Court of BC standards.

Delays for cases to proceed to trial increased province-wide by an average of nine per cent, according to the latest report.

Time to trial data is gathered from 69 of B.C.’s 78 provincial courthouses.

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