Crown prosecutor Michael Cozens, 52, has been appointed as a new territorial court judge, the Star learned this afternoon.

He said he received the phone call at 10:20 this morning as he was walking into court.

"The phone rings, I pick it up and it's 'Hello, this is justice ..." His ear-to-ear grin tells the rest of the story.

Cozens said he was looking forward to the opportunity, but had to push the good news from his mind as he moved on with his day's to-do lists of court appearances and child-minding.

At lunchtime today, he was walking along the barricades of the Yukon Quest finish line along the waterfront with his youngest son, playing in the snow and watching airplanes flying overhead.

The former electrician and father of three has been a longtime lawyer in the Yukon.

Cozens is married to Sue Bogle, also a Crown prosecutor.

He is a long-time member of the Whitehorse Recreational Hockey League and is still active in the league's A division with the Yukon Appliance team.

Former territorial court judge Heino Lilles left a vacancy when he retired last spring after many years on the bench.

Cozens said he knew an appointment would be made "at some point," and will gladly add the role of territorial judge to his other duties: parent and coach of his kids' hockey and soccer teams.