The Honourable Glenn D. Joyal has served as Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011.
Chief Justice Joyal was first appointed to the bench as a judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1998. He joined the Court of Appeal of Manitoba in 2007 and, later that year, the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, where he became Associate Chief Justice in 2009, then Chief Justice in 2011.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Chief Justice Joyal practised primarily in criminal law, constitutional law, and civil litigation. He served as a Crown attorney with Manitoba Justice, as a federal Crown counsel with the Department of Justice Canada, and as an associate with the Winnipeg law firm Wolch, Pinx, Tapper, Scurfield. He is a past member of l’Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba. He is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
Throughout his career, Chief Justice Joyal has contributed to initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of court operations, expanding access to justice, and modernising the delivery of court services. He has also supported efforts to advance reconciliation and strengthen the relationship between the justice system and Indigenous Peoples.
He sits on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Judicial Council and currently serves as the Council’s First Vice-Chair. He also chairs its Judicial Conduct Committee.
Chief Justice Joyal is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. In 2025, he was recognised as a Jurist of Robson Hall by the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law for his extraordinary service and commitment to the legal community.
Chief Justice Joyal pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies at Simon Fraser University, McGill University, Paris-Sorbonne University, the University of Manitoba, and Oxford University. He was admitted to the Bar of Manitoba in 1987.