Ritu Khullar

Ritu Khullar was a trailblazing Canadian jurist, a devoted mother, and a woman whose life was defined by an unwavering belief in fairness, the rule of law, and the promise that justice belongs to every member of society. Born on May 7, 1964, in Fort Vermilion, Alberta, to Pritam and Jitendra Khullar — teachers who had immigrated from India and instilled in their daughters a love of learning and a sense of civic duty — Ritu grew up in Morinville, Alberta, and carried her prairie roots with her to the highest courts in the land. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Alberta in 1985, then spent three years advising the Government of Alberta on public and constitutional policy before answering the call to law. She completed her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Toronto in 1991 and clerked at both the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeal, before beginning a distinguished career in private practice at Chivers Carpenter Lawyers — where she rose from associate to managing partner, guiding the firm's public law practice for over two decades. Alongside her practice, she spent more than twenty years teaching constitutional law, labour arbitration, and administrative law at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law, shaping a generation of legal professionals. She appeared before every level of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court, and her advocacy on behalf of nurses, workers, and equality-seekers — including landmark cases on the right to strike and consent in law — left lasting marks on Canadian jurisprudence. Appointed to the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in 2017 and elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2018, she was appointed Chief Justice of Alberta on November 28, 2022, and sworn in on February 23, 2023 — becoming the first woman of South Asian descent to serve as a provincial chief justice in Canada. She received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Law Leadership Awards, an honour she accepted with characteristic modesty. She described parenthood as the greatest teacher of humility, patience, and flexibility — virtues that she drew upon every day on the bench. Ritu Khullar passed away on October 3, 2026, surrounded by her family, after an eight-month battle with brain cancer. She was 62. She is survived by her husband Robert and their two adult sons. Her legacy is a more just, more open, and more equitable Canada.