Career
He served for 33 years as a judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta, largely in the area around Canmore and Cochrane, Alberta, until retiring in 2008. After retiring from the regular court bench in 2008, Reilly continued to serve as a supernumerary judge. In March 2011, Reilly resigned as a supernumerary judge and declared his candidacy in the Alberta riding of Wild Rose for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2011 Canadian federal election.
On April 7, 2011, Reilly attracted controversy for comments he made about mandatory minimum sentencing for sexual assault, while being interviewed by radio host Dave Rutherford.