Judges are often asked how they were appointed and how their backgrounds prepared them to sit on the bench. Every BC Provincial Court judge obtained a law degree and practised law for more than a decade, but each brings different life, work and legal experience to the Court. Some are former government lawyers, while others were in private practice. Some appeared regularly as barristers, representing clients in criminal, civil or family courts. Others worked as solicitors providing legal services and advice without going to court often. But a few had very different careers that led them to the Court.

Judge Darin Reeves was appointed a judge in 2021. Before that, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces (the “CAF”) and then internationally as a child protection advocate. He began his military career as a reserve officer, training 16-year-old air cadets to fly. While regularly risking his life teaching aspiring young air men and women to “slip the surly bonds of earth”, he rose to lead a Flight that included 30 students, 12 instructor pilots plus tow pilots, ground crew and tower staff. Judge Reeves says he credits this experience with developing his patience and the ability to explain things so even a teenager who thinks they are Top Gun’s Maverick can understand.
 

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Judge Reeves then chose to serve full time as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Serving onboard four major warships and countless smaller vessels in both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets, he hunted submarines, led heavily armed boarding teams to seize other vessels, and organized the process to test and accept delivery of a half-billion dollar warship. Sailing to many foreign ports, he worked with navies around the world, sailed through a minefield, was almost washed overboard in a hurricane, and even helped stop pirates from capturing a British sailing ship off the horn of Africa. 

After over a decade in the RCN, Judge Reeves persuaded the Navy to let him attend law school, after which he became a military lawyer within the Office of the Judge Advocate General … yes, the JAG.  Unlike the characters seen in TV and movies, Judge Reeves insists he never cross-examined Jack Nicolson or flew in a fighter plane, and he definitely never engaged in hand-to-hand combat between court appearances!  He did, however, appear as a prosecutor in courts martial, deployed to international conflict zones, and advised senior officers in situations he describes as ranging from “simply unusual to surreal”. Along the way, he earned a masters degree in law from Dalhousie Schulich School of Law.

As a military lawyer Judge Reeves was twice deployed to international conflicts. He first advised a Canadian Army Battle Group in the Kandahar Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. In his second deployment he served at an American Air Force base in Qatar, where he was both a military advisor and a commander for the Canadian fighter jets stationed in Kuwait. 

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After returning home, he reverted to primary reserve military service where he continued to prosecute at courts martial. He also began working full time as the Director of Training at the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, a not-for-profit organization focused on eliminating the recruitment and use of child soldiers around the world.  There he authored and co-authored several books, contributed foundational work towards the development of the Vancouver Principles, and developed and led training for many national military services. 

While Judge Reeves may have the greatest breadth of military experience, he is not the only BC Provincial Court judge to have served in the military. Judge Oliver Fleck served as a primary reserve officer in the RCN, sailing in coastal patrol vessels in the Pacific Fleet. Judge Alexander Wolf served as a private in the Royal Canadian Air Force, completing basic and trade courses. Judge Brian Daley completed officer basic reserve training while attending university and Judge Dwight Stewart received his undergraduate degree as an officer cadet attending the Royal Military College.

These judges all share an appreciation for the CAF men and women with whom they served and the sense of camaraderie and purpose inherent in military service.

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Reflecting back, Judge Reeves is quick to credit his service in the military for many things he continues to use every day on the bench. Working alongside Canadians from all corners of the country and people from around the world gave him an intense appreciation for the challenges facing others. Having worked with and led diverse teams to accomplish their missions, he understands the need to consider differing viewpoints and approaches. This, combined with his international humanitarian work, has left him with a passion for life-long learning and serving the community. He continues to do that as a judge in Fort St. John.