The Honourable Jeffrey E. Lantz, Attorney General, announced today three new appointments of Her Majesty's Counsel by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The designation of Queen's Counsel is an honour afforded to members of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island who are considered to be learned in the law and highly respected by the legal profession.
Named to the Queen's Counsel are Nancy Key, of Key McKnight & Peacock; Scott MacKenzie of Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales; and Shauna Sullivan Curley, Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Education.
"Queen's Counsel appointments are made to recognize the contributions of individuals to the legal community within the province," says Attorney General Lantz. "It is my pleasure to name these three individuals to that honourary designation."
Nancy Key is a founding partner of Key, McKnight & Peacock in Summerside. She was admitted to the Bar in February 1982 and presently concentrates on family law within her practise. Key is actively involved in the Summerside community and spends time working with local service organizations. She has worked with the Prince County Bar Association on legal issues within the community and currently serves on the Library, Courthouse and PEI Reports Committee of the Law Society of PEI. Through her children, she has been very involved in sport and recreation in the community and, most recently, she has served as coach for her son's minor hockey team.
Scott MacKenzie is a partner with Stewart, McKelvey, Stirling & Scales in Charlottetown. He was called to the Bar in 1982. He is a Lecturer with the School of Business at Holland College and has served with many service organizations and committees including the Federal and Provincial Judicial Appointments Advisory Committees, the Holland College Foundation Inc., and the Greater Charlottetown and Area Chamber of Commerce. Mr. MacKenzie is active in the Canadian Bar Association having served as Chair of the National Young Lawyers Section, Member of the National Executive and President of the PEI Branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
Shauna Sullivan Curley is Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Education for the province. She received her Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in 1982. She practised law with the firms Boudreau, Beaton and LaFosse in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Mullin, Carr, Stevenson & MacKay in Charlottettown. In 1989, she began her public service career as a Departmental Solicitor with the PEI Department of Justice and Attorney General. She has since served as Deputy Minister of Provincial Affairs and Deputy Attorney General, Secretary to the Legislative Review Committee, and Counsel to Executive Council. She is also actively involved in her community, serving as an elder at the Kirk of St. James, Chair of the United Way Committee for provincial government employees in 1999, and as a volunteer visitor with the Reach to Recovery program of the Canadian Cancer Society. Mrs. Curley has also served as president of the Community Legal Information Association of PEI, director of the Law Foundation of Prince Edward Island, and president of the PEI Branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
"Each of these three individuals has made outstanding contributions to the legal community of Prince Edward Island and served Islanders through community-based and voluntary endeavours," says Attorney General Lantz. "I would like to offer each of them my personal congratulations. I am sure that they will continue to provide excellent service to Islanders in the future."
In accordance with the Legal Profession Act, members of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island are appointed Queen's Counsel upon the recommendation of the Queen's Counsel Recommendations Committee. This committee is made up of the president, a member in good standing appointed by the council, one person appointed by the Attorney General, a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, and a judge of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island.