The Honourable Eleanor R. Dawson, judge of the Federal Court, is appointed judge of the Federal Court of Appeal. She will replace the Honourable C. Michael Ryer who has retired effective December 28, 2009.

The Honourable Eleanor Dawson completed her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of Manitoba. She was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1977 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988. Justice Dawson practiced with Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson and was sessional lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba from 1987 to 1992. She was Commissioner of the Uniform Law Commission of Canada from 1987 to 1989 and Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission of Manitoba from 1987 to 1999. Madam Justice Dawson was appointed judge of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division and ex officio member of the Federal Court of Appeal in 1999 and judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada in 2000. She was appointed a Judicial Member of the Competition Tribunal in 2002.