The Honourable Wayne N. Renke, an alumnus, award-winning professor and vice-dean of law at the University of Alberta, was sworn in February 5, 2015 as a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.
"Professor Renke has been a valued scholar, teacher and member of the faculty since 1993," noted Dean Paul Paton, in a letter to students and faculty announcing the appointment last December. "He is a graduate of this faculty, and holds a BA and an MA from U of A as well. A recipient of the faculty's Teaching Excellence Award in 2001, he has served in multiple administrative roles, including as special advisor to the provost from 2000 to 2003.
Justice Renke earned his bachelor of laws degree from the UAlberta in 1985 and was admitted to the Bar of Alberta the following year. He was a lawyer with the firm Ouellette & Hajduk in St. Paul, Alta., from 1991 to 1993 and with the firm Milner & Steer (Milner Fenerty) in Edmonton from 1986 to 1991. He received his Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1995.
At UAlberta, he served in several positions including associate dean and vice-dean of law, and president of the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta, to name a few. His main areas of research and teaching were criminal law and energy law. His publications and research have related to criminal offenses, criminal procedure, intersections of public health and criminal law, and energy law. His wide-ranging research interests have also included counter-terrorism, including intelligence and privacy issues, and the use of force in self-defense and law enforcement situations.