Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Québec

OTTAWA, ON, April 27, 2022 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, 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.

Céline Legendre, Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Montréal, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Legendre replaces Justice M. David (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 16, 2022.

Quote

 "I wish Justice Legendre every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve the people of Québec well as a member of the Superior Court."
—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Céline Legendre studied at the Université de Montréal and earned her B.A. in political science in 1997 and her LL.B. in 2000. She was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2001.

Justice Legendre was a partner with the national litigation sector of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Her main areas of practice were civil and commercial litigation, including class actions, ligation relating to privacy, product liability, corporate governance and securities, and professional liability. She was recognized for her work in the areas of class actions and commercial and corporate litigation by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Benchmark Litigation Canada.

Justice Legendre has often been called upon to make presentations at conferences on a variety of legal training programs for the Barreau du Québec, the Jeune Barreau, and the Advocates' Society. In addition to her work in the legal community, she sat on the board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Quick facts

• At the Superior Court level, more than 525 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• 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

For more information, media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]