Three new judges appointed to Alberta Court of Queen's Bench are all from Edmonton.

Melanie Hayes-Richards, Nathan Whitling and Shaina Leonard have been named to the superior court.

Hayes-Richards, who was born in Pointe Claire, Que., and raised in Vancouver, has been a provincial court judge for criminal matters.

Whitling is a criminal lawyer who has argued cases before appellate courts in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario, as well as before the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

He has represented former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr in recent years.

Leonard, a deputy chief federal prosecutor, worked throughout Canada and in Afghanistan during her time as a legal officer with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, based on advice from federal cabinet and recommendations by the justice minister.