He was admitted to the Bar of Manitoba in 1987 and practised as a Provincial Crown Attorney in Manitoba (1986–1990), with Justice Canada (1990–1997) and then with the firm of Wolch Pinx Tapper
Scurfield in Winnipeg (1997–1998). Joyal was appointed a judge of the
Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1998, where he developed his expertise in criminal and constitutional law. On March 2, 2007, he was appointed to the
Manitoba Court of Appeal, replacing
Charles Huband. He became a judge of the
Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba on July 10, 2007, replacing A. L. Clearwater, who elected to become a supernumerary judge. He was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the
Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba in January 2009. Joyal works in both English and French and has served as a Member of several Provincial Court Committees. He has been Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for
St. Mary's Academy, a Member of the Board of Directors for
Le Cercle Molière and a Member of l'Association des juristes d'expression française du Manitoba. ==Personal life==