Government announces new Chief Provincial Court Judge

Hon. Bloyce Thompson, Deputy Premier, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, confirmed today that Krista J. MacKay has been appointed as the new Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island.

“Judge MacKay has been an integral part of our judicial system since her appointment to the bench in 2020. Her commitment to the western part of our province, and the PEI legal community as a whole has resulted in meaningful change, and I know that her voice of reason, fairness, and dedication to community will be reflected in her new position.”

— Minister Thompson

Judge Jeffrey E. Lantz was named Chief Provincial Judge in 2020 and has completed his five-year appointment.

“On behalf of the Province of PEI, I want to thank Judge Lantz for his time as Chief Provincial Court Judge,” added Thompson. “We have made great strides in modernizing our systems and increasing access to justice across the province, which were all made possible under the leadership of Judge Lantz. I know he will continue to serve our province with dignity, respect, and fairness.”

Chief Judge MacKay will begin her five-year term as Chief Provincial Court Judge effective immediately. 

Media contact:
Kip Ready
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Justice and Public Safety 
kjready@gov.pe.ca

Backgrounder: 

Krista J. MacKay earned a Bachelor of Law at the University of New Brunswick in 1995 and was called to the Bar in 1996. She articled as a clerk and served as an associate at Taylor McLellan in Summerside from 1995 to 1999. She was also an associate at Cox & Palmer from 2001 to 2008 before becoming and serving as partner from 2008 to 2015, with a focus on civil and criminal litigation. In March 2015, Ms. MacKay left private practice and joined the public sector at Legal Aid, practicing both family and criminal law. Prior to being appointed as Provincial Court Judge in 2020, Ms. MacKay held the position of Prothonotary and Registrar of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. 

Ms. MacKay has been an active member of her community. She has served as Chair of Discipline Committee A for the Law Society of PEI, President of the PEI Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, President of the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Mental Health Review Board and Board Member of Community Connections Inc. 

Ms. MacKay was born and raised in Summerside, where she continues to reside with her family.