Lawyer and University of Saskatchewan law professor Patricia Farnese will be the City of Regina’s next integrity commissioner.
Farnese will replace the city’s current commissioner, Angela Kruk, when her term ends on Dec. 31.
Integrity commissioners serve four-year terms; Farnese is slated to hold the position until the end of 2029.
“Public trust in government is built through transparency and an unwavering commitment to ethical conduct. I am honoured to serve Regina by providing independent oversight and supporting Council in upholding the highest standards of integrity,” Farnese said in a statement issued by the city.
She received her degree in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas in 2003.
In addition to practising law, she was a tenured professor at the University of Saskatchewan for over two decades. She served as a justice in the high court of Belize from 2022 to 2024 and has been a member of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal since 2018.
“Farnese’s extensive judicial and adjudicative experience equips her well to respond to inquiries and investigate complaints of unethical conduct,” the city’s announcement said.
“In her previous roles, she has adjudicated matters involving professional conduct and the application of various codes of ethics.”
The integrity commissioner serves as the independent investigator and adjudicator of potential violations of the city’s code of ethics bylaw, and has the power to investigate and sanction city council members, as well as provide them with advice on ethics issues.