THE ADVOCATE 601
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
Along the way on his legal career path, Mike met his wife, Judith Macfarlane.
Together, in the midst of their respective busy law practices, they had
two children, Alex and Miranda. After years of watching them at the hockey
rink and on the soccer pitch, and occasionally taking a turn as team manager,
Mike is now watching them embark on their own adventures as Alex
continues his studies at Queen’s University, where his sister will soon join
him. They, in turn, have a striking example to follow of Mike embarking on
new adventures of his own.
For those at Hunter Litigation Chambers, Mike was a valued colleague
who is and will continue to be missed. Whether it was the “short snappers”
that Mike would stop by to run past you (sometimes the same one on more
than one occasion), his hepta-checking of an affidavit to be certain that it
was assembled correctly, his morning trip to get a bagel, or just knowing
that he was available to serve as a sounding board for any ethical, legal or
other dilemma that might arise, Mike’s presence at the office was something
that is woven into the fabric of Hunter Litigation Chambers. There is
no doubt that Justice Stephens will soon be similarly integrated with and
appreciated by his judicial colleagues. The legal profession’s loss of a
respected colleague is most certainly the bench’s gain.
The Honourable Justice Briana Hardwick
Briana Hardwick was appointed to the British
Columbia Supreme Court on February 7, 2022. She
will be resident in Kelowna, her home town. By all
accounts, it appears that Briana is the first born-andraised
Kelowna resident to be appointed to the
Supreme Court and to sit in Kelowna. In taking on
this task, Briana brings to the court a rare and
remarkable combination of keen intellect, hard work and sound judgment.
In addition to these key attributes, Briana brings a long history of experience
before the courts. To say Briana was literally raised in a courtroom is,
in fact, not an overstatement.
Her father, J. Grant Hardwick, is an accomplished barrister in Kelowna
who recently celebrated 48 years at the bar. Briana’s mother, Debbie, was