Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the Northwest Territories

OTTAWA, ON, June 24, 2024 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Annie Piché, General Counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in Yellowknife, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife. Justice Piché replaces Justice A. Mahar, who resigned effective May 1, 2024.

Quote

"I wish Justice Piché every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve the public well as a member of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories". 

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Annie Piché was born and raised in the Greater Montreal region. She holds a law degree from the Université de Montréal (2001) and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2004). She was called to the NWT bar in 2014.

Justice Piché is bilingual and has practiced law in both languages. She articled with the Federal Prosecution Service in 2002 and became a member of the Barreau du Québec the same year. She worked as a Crown prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC), Quebec Regional Office, where she specialized in drug and organized crime prosecutions. In 2014, she joined the PPSC Northwest Territories Regional Office in Yellowknife where she was responsible for a wide range of criminal prosecutions, including sexual violence and homicide cases. From 2020 to 2022, still based in the Northwest Territories, she held the position of Northern Coordinator and General Counsel with the PPSC's Headquarters Counsel Group.

Justice Piché co-chaired the PPSC's national Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation Committee. Since 2022, she has led the Sexual Violence Team at the PPSC Northwest Territories Regional Office.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 750 judges since November 2015. This includes 126 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian History. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Deputy Director, Communications, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations: Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]