SURREY - Two more judges have been appointed to Surrey provincial court.

Melissa Gillespie, a veteran Crown prosecutor, will begin her appointment on Feb. 21.

Gillespie has served as Crown Counsel for 20 years and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2009. Before being appointed as one of the province's nine most recent judges, Gillespie's most recently served as regional Crown Counsel for the Fraser Region.

Patricia Bond, a partner with North Shore Law LLP in North Vancouver, having focused mostly on family law, will be in the judge's chair effective Feb. 27.

Bond and Gillespie are among nine new judges appointed by the provincial government to help ease caseload pressures. Of the others, two have been appointed to Prince George and the others will serve in Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam, Nanaimo, Penticton and Smithers.

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com