GURPREET Kaur Gill and Ajeet Kaur Kang are among the 32 lawyers who have been appointed the honorary title of Queen’s Counsel (also known as Q.C.), Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced Monday.
Among the appointees are lawyers who have prosecuted high-profile criminal cases as well as family, civil and commercial law cases. Many of the appointees have also advocated for seniors and the disabled, and have given back to their communities through a wide variety of charitable causes.
The Q.C. designation is an honour conferred annually on members of the legal profession to recognize exceptional merit and contribution. The successful candidates have been members of the B.C. bar for at least five years.
A call for Q.C. nominations from the public was made in August. The appointments were made by cabinet through order-in-council.
Anton said: “The Q.C. designation is given to lawyers who demonstrate professional integrity, good character and excellence in the practice of law. I want to thank this year’s Q.C. recipients for their contributions to our communities, our justice system and our province.”
The advisory committee for Queen’s counsel appointments includes the Chief Justice of B.C., the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C., the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of B.C., the president of the Law Society of B.C., current president of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, a Law Society of B.C. member appointed by the benchers (directors) and B.C.’s deputy attorney general.
Of practising B.C. lawyers, only up to 7% overall can be awarded this designation.
GURPREET KAUR GILL is a self-employed barrister and solicitor with Gurpreet Gill Law Corporation. She is the founding president of the Fraser Valley Criminal Law Association and a member of the South Asian Bar Association of B.C. Gill has served on the boards of the Abbotsford International Airport Authority and the Fraser Health Authority.
AJEET KAUR KANG has over 10 years of experience in a multi-disciplinary practice with emphasis on criminal law, family law, immigration and human rights law. A former provincial Crown prosecutor, she now practices with Kang and Company and works with a diverse clientele, including marginalized new immigrants. Kang has served on the board of directors of CORSA, a non-profit organization assisting South Asian youth.
