The B.C. Ministry of Attorney General has appointed a new judge to the Victoria court to help handle local legal matters more quickly for residents in Sidney, British Columbia. Micah Rankin, KC, will begin his new role on Feb. 4, 2026; his appointment is expected to help alleviate trial backlogs that affect the Saanich Peninsula.
Sidney has a Provincial Court location at 9884 3rd Street, but it is unstaffed. As a result, many local criminal, family and civil matters are handled through the Victoria Provincial Court, which serves Sidney and the wider Saanich Peninsula. The addition of a new judge is intended to reduce the number of times residents must travel for hearings only to have them rescheduled because no judicial availability exists.
Rankin has practised law for more than 18 years and most recently worked in the BC Prosecution Service’s Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions Unit. According to the Provincial Court of British Columbia, judges are appointed after a multi-step review by the Judicial Council of B.C., a statutory body that includes the chief judge, an associate chief judge, other judges, lawyers and members from outside the legal profession.
The BC Ministry of Attorney General also announced two other judicial appointments this week — to Prince George and Dawson Creek — as part of efforts to address anticipated vacancies across the province. These appointments are intended to support court operations and help ensure the justice system can provide timely access to proceedings.
For the local community, the extra judicial capacity is expected to shorten wait times for trials and reduce the risk of repeated adjournments that force residents and witnesses to make multiple trips. Those improvements are a stated aim of the appointments and reflect common concerns among local lawyers and residents about court delays.
