VICTORIA - Stephen Harrison has been appointed to the bench of the Provincial Court in Kamloops.

The appointment is effective July 9.

Harrison has been Crown counsel in Vancouver and Kamloops for 18 years. He has extensive experience in criminal and youth law and has worked on B.C. First Nations legal issues. He served as a member of the QC (Queen's counsel) appointments committee of the Canadian Bar Association from 2000 to 2003.

In his spare time, Harrison volunteers with the Canadian Diabetes Association and South Kamloops Youth Soccer Association.

The process to appoint judges involves several steps. Interested lawyers apply and the B.C. Judicial Council, a committee made up of the chief judge, other judges, lawyers and lay people, then reviews the candidates.

The council recommends potential judges to the Attorney General, with the final appointment made through a cabinet order-in-council. More information about the appointment process can be found at: www.provincialcourt.bc.ca.