The University of Alberta banner is flying at half-mast from October 4-7, 2019 in remembrance of the Honourable John A. Agrios, an alumnus of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law ('56 LLB), a former justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, and a founding member of Alumni & Friends of the Faculty of Law.
A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m. at the Royal Glenora Club, 11160 River Valley Road, Edmonton. To send condolences, visit www.fostermcgarvey.com.
Justice Agrios died on September 12, a few weeks short of his 87th birthday.
During his 28 years on the bench, Justice Agrios was known as an innovator for his ability to simplify judicial procedures. He helped create mediation and mini-trial procedures for the Court, a beneficial tool that was implemented in Alberta in the early 1990s and later adopted by both national and international jurisdictions. Mini-trials are an alternate method of dispute resolution carried out in front of a judge with negotiation, mediation and arbitration, saving the time and costs required during a full trial.
Justice Agrios was admired as a patient and welcoming senior member of the bar who provided gentle guidance to new members of the judiciary and young lawyers, alike.
He was also one of the four founding members of the Alumni & Friends of the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, a constituent group of the university's alumni association. It fosters ties between UAlberta Law, its alumni and its current students through various projects and social events.
"Justice Agrios had the vision to create opportunities where law students and young legal professionals can meet and work with more experienced members of the community, regardless of where they are employed, and this clever idea has built bonds that would otherwise take decades to develop," said David Percy, interim dean of the Faculty of Law.
He was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in 1980 and served until his retirement in 2008. In 2002, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal for his volunteer and philanthropic services, which included significant support for the arts, education and health care in Edmonton.
This originally appeared in the Faculty of Law's story "Remembering Former Queen's Bench Justice John Agrios." Read the full story here.full story here.