Heino Lilles (b. 1945)
Heino Lilles at one time considered a career in football. He was drafted by Canadian Football League teams in Edmonton and British Columbia and received numerous awards for his years with the Queen's Golden Gaels in the 1980s. Before coming to the Yukon, Lilles was wrapping up a five-year term as professor of law at his Alma Mater Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He got his master's law degree in London at the London School of Economics and earned his law degree at Queens after earning a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. In 2006, Lilles commented that the Yukon was healthier than when he first arrived. Circuit court has been reduced from two days to sometimes just an afternoon and the elder panel now takes a role in the community justice system. Circle sentencing, begun by retired judge Barry Stuart, also engages the community in the process.1)
Judge Lilles was instrumental in creating the Domestic Violence Treatment option. Offenders must enter an early guilty plea to be accepted in this program which includes treatment and counselling and weekly report to the court. A change over twenty years has seen police, probation officers, judges and lawyers all view themselves as partners working on a case. Lilles continued to sit on the Queen's University board of governors. The Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges made him a lifetime member after his term of president ended. He and his wife, Sheila, called Whitehorse home for two decades and then moved to Salmon Arm B.C. in 2006 to be closer to family members. They have kids and grandchildren in Vancouver and Edmonton.2)