(submitted photo/​Judge Claxton-Viczko)

By Ben Tompkins

Other side of the courtroom

New Melfort Judge excited about upcoming challenge

Aug 1, 2023 | 3:39 PM

Four new judges have been appointed across Saskatchewan, including one in Melfort.

Jennifer Claxton-Viczko will soon be taking over the prominent role in the northeast, following a vacancy created by the transfer of Judge Inez Cardinal to Saskatoon.

This will be the first time Claxton-Viczko will be donning the judge’s robes in her career.

“I’m very excited, I’m looking forward to the challenge, and I’m looking forward to serving rural Saskatchewan,” she told northeastNOW. “In terms of a big career move, it’s going to be doing a lot of what I’m already familiar with, I spend the majority of my time in a courtroom as it is, so it will be the same only from a slightly different perspective. Instead of addressing the court, I’ll be sitting on the bench.”

Claxton-Viczko received her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2001, and was called to the Bar in 2002. She articled with Behiel, Munkler and Will in Humboldt, where she remained as an associate until 2004, when she took a position with Legal Aid in Prince Albert.

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Later in 2004, she took a position with public prosecutions in Prince Albert, was promoted to senior Crown prosecutor in 2009 and transferred to public prosecutions’ Saskatoon office in 2013 to pursue more specialized prosecutions, including of gang-related crimes.

“I wanted to do what I’m doing and that’s dealing with the law. I love the law and I love that area, so I wanted to continue to do that but yet have something a bit different, a bit different perspective and a challenge to meet,” Claxton-Viczko added.

“The love of law will help me rise to the challenge I believe. I’m very diligent in my work, so I do spend a lot of time working but I’m also very family oriented. I spend a lot of time with my family and I like to be involved in local community events, so I spend time doing that as well.”

Claxton-Viczko has been married into the Cudworth community for roughly 30 years, which means although she may not have spent much time in Melfort yet, she’s quite familiar with rural northeast Saskatchewan.

She has two adult children and five grandchildren, and is focused on getting to know and getting involved with the community, both on and off the bench.

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