Cohort consists of a Crown prosecutor, an executive legal officer, and a law firm partner
The Court of King's Bench of Alberta has appointed Parminder K. Johal as a justice, while the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba has appointed Elissa A.B. Neville and Jonathan M. Woolley as judges.
Johal sits in Edmonton, while Neville and Woolley sit in Winnipeg.
Parminder K. Johal
Johal takes the place of Justice R.A. Jerke (Edmonton), who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of June 15, 2025. Johal is a Crown prosecutor at the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service.
She began her legal career articling with a Toronto-based labour law boutique. She became a junior associate specializing in labour law in British Columbia.
Johal moved to Alberta and took a staff counsel role at Legal Aid Alberta, acting for vulnerable and marginalized clients experiencing poverty, addiction, and mental health concerns. She transitioned to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service and has since prosecuted homicides, child sexual exploitation cases, and matters involving high-risk offenders.
She has been a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law and presented at Crown education seminars. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of British Columbia before attending the University of Victoria Faculty of Law. In 2006, she was called to the Alberta Bar.
Elissa A.B. Neville
Neville replaces Winnipeg’s Justice S.W. Lanchbery, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of October 13, 2025. She has held roles at Rachlis Neville LLP, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, and the Aboriginal law group of Manitoba Justice Civil Legal Services.
She also took on management roles at Manitoba Hydro. While at Rachlis Neville, she concentrated on the conduct of independent workplace investigations.
In 2022, Neville became the executive legal officer to the Chief Justices and the Chief Judge of the three Manitoba Courts. She also served as alternate chair of Manitoba’s Criminal Code Review Board.
She sat on the equity committee and the Indigenous advisory committee of the Law Society of Manitoba.
Jonathan M. Woolley
Woolley replaces Winnipeg’s Justice R.A. Saull, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 5. He is a partner at the Winnipeg office of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman.
He is a homegrown talent with the firm, having articled there prior to commencing his practice. He was named chair of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman’s litigation practice group in 2020 after making partner in 2011.
Woolley concentrates on dispute resolution in the construction and infrastructure industry. He has acted as counsel before all levels of Manitoba court, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Appeal. He has also appeared in arbitrations and mediations.
He was recognized in Lexpert’s Special Edition – Infrastructure last year alongside Bailey J. Harris, with both lawyers representing Thompson Dorfman Sweatman. Since 2015, he has contributed to the Annotated Court of King’s Bench Rules.
Woolley taught construction law as a sessional lecturer with the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law from 2019 to 2024.
