lit a candle 4d agoWhat a remarkable journey, from a small Alberta town to leading the courts. Her commitment to dignity and equality in the law will echo for generations. My thoughts are with Rob, Samir, and Nikhil.
Their story
Ritu Khullar was born in 1964 in Fort Vermilion, a northern Alberta hamlet hundreds of kilometres from Edmonton, to teachers who had emigrated from India. Her mother's family was Sikh and her father's Hindu, both of Punjabi descent. She spent early childhood in La Crete, where her parents taught in…
Ritu Khullar was born in 1964 in Fort Vermilion, a northern Alberta hamlet hundreds of kilometres from Edmonton, to teachers who had emigrated from India. Her mother's family was Sikh and her father's Hindu, both of Punjabi descent. She spent early childhood in La Crete, where her parents taught in a Mennonite community, lived in Jamaica from 1969 to 1972, and moved with her family to Morinville around Grade 4. She graduated from Old Scona Academic High School in Edmonton in 1981, earned a B.A. (Honours) in Political Science magna cum laude from the University of Alberta in 1985, and later an LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1991 after spending her second year back in Edmonton for personal reasons. She was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1992.
Before law school she worked as an intergovernmental officer with Alberta's Department of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs (1985-1988). After clerking at the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench and Court of Appeal (1991-1992), she practised at Milner Fenerty, then at Dale Gibson & Associates, and from 1998 at Chivers Carpenter (partner from 2002, managing partner from 2009 to 2017). Her practice centred on labour and employment, privacy, administrative, human rights, and constitutional law. She appeared at every level of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada. As counsel for LEAF she helped shape Vriend v Alberta, which established that excluding sexual orientation from Alberta's human-rights statute breached the Charter, and R v Ewanchuk, which rejected "implied consent" as a defence in sexual assault. She also intervened for United Nurses of Alberta in the 2015 labour trilogy case Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan, arguing that the right to strike is protected by freedom of association. She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2014 and taught labour, constitutional, and administrative law for many years at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.
Appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in March 2017 and elevated to the Courts of Appeal of Alberta, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories in 2018, she rose quickly. On 28 November 2022 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named her Chief Justice of Alberta and of the Nunavut and NWT Courts of Appeal, succeeding Catherine Fraser. She became the first woman of South Asian descent to hold a provincial chief justiceship in Canada and the second woman to lead Alberta's Court of Appeal. She was sworn in in Edmonton on 23 February 2023; a ceremonial Nunavut swearing-in followed in Iqaluit, where she called the role "the greatest honour of my life" and hoped "the light of the qulliq" would guide her.
As Chief Justice she pushed court modernization (remote appearances, technology in jury selection) against chronic delay and vacancies, while sitting on panels ranging from Metis consultation to criminal appeals. Colleagues and coverage portrayed a jurist who saw the Constitution as a "living tree" and justice as "the application of law to life." She married constitutional lawyer and former Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Rob Reynolds; they have two sons, Samir and Nikhil. After surgery over the 2025 holidays she took medical leave in January 2026, with Dawn Pentelechuk serving as Acting Chief Justice. She died on 3 September 2026 at age 62 from cancer, surrounded by family. The Court of Appeal mourned "our dedicated leader, colleague and friend."
Biography adapted from Alberta Court of Appeal Notice to the Profession and Public (2026-09-04); Edmonton Journal / Jonny Wakefield; CBC News Edmonton; Prime Minister of Canada news release (2022-11-28); English Wikipedia R.
In their own words
“The opportunity to serve the people of Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in this way is an enormous privilege and responsibility to which I am wholly committed.”
On appointment as Chief Justice (Alberta Courts)
“I am forever grateful to live in Canada where the values of respect, equality and fairness are deeply embedded and where any individual can flourish.”
Appointment statement (Alberta Courts)
“Becoming chief justice is the greatest honour of my life.”
Nunavut swearing-in remarks (Nunatsiaq News)
“I'm hoping that the light of the qulliq will guide me.”
Nunavut swearing-in remarks (Nunatsiaq News)
“Protecting and enhancing human rights, privacy and the dignity of individuals so they can choose to live their lives in ways that make sense to them, is my contribution to the law.”
Quoted in Wikipedia jurisprudence section
“If 90% of parenting is showing up, I think my contribution is by being a lawyer who shows up.”
Justice Canada judicial questionnaire
“I thought it was a telemarketer.”
On nearly missing the Justice Minister's call about her chief-justice appointment during family Jeopardy! night (Edmonton Journal)
“She never lost sight of the impact her decisions had on the lives of the parties before her. She understood that justice is the application of law to life.”
Alberta Court of Appeal Notice, 2026-09-04
“She is a respected member of the legal community and brings a wealth of experience in multiple areas of law to the bench.”
Justin Trudeau, PMO release 2022-11-28
