Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Quebec

OTTAWA, ON, June 18, 2024 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments 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.

The Honourable Myriam Lachance, a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec in Montréal. Justice Lachance replaces Justice R.M. Mainville (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective November 27, 2023.

Louis Marquis, Mediator and arbitrator at Marquis médiation et arbitrage inc. in Sherbrooke, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the districts of Saint François and Bedford in Sherbrooke. Justice Marquis replaces Justice C. Ouellet (Sherbrooke), who resigned effective October 1, 2023.

Audrey Boctor, Partner at IMK LLP in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Boctor Justice J. Harvie (Montréal), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal of Quebec on December 15, 2023.

Quote

"I wish Justices Lachance, Marquis, and Boctor every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Quebecers well as members of the Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Quebec."

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

Biographies

Justice Myriam Lachance obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sherbrooke and was called to the Quebec Bar in 1994.

Justice Lachance was appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal in 2017. She was previously appointed a judge of the Criminal and Penal Division of the Court of Quebec in the district of Montreal in 2014. Before becoming a member of the judiciary, she practised in the areas of criminal law, disciplinary law and professional ethics, and internal police investigations. She acted both for the defence and the prosecution, serving as an agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and as a prosecutor for the Attorney General of Quebec. She taught constitutional rights at the graduate level at the Université de Sherbrooke and taught criminal law at both the École du Barreau and the programme des Techniques policières at the Cégep de Sherbrooke.

Justice Lachance served as bâtonnière of the Barreau de St-François (2009-2010) and served on the board of the Association des avocats et avocates de province (2011-2014). She also served on the executive of the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates de la défense (2005-2012). She has lectured extensively for the Barreau du Québec on topics including police powers and duties and constitutional rights.

Justice Louis Marquis graduated from the Université de Sherbrooke (LL.B.), the University of Cambridge (LL.M.), and the University of British Columbia (Ph.D.). He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1988.

Justice Marquis has served as dean, secretary general and, vice-rector in Ontario and Quebec. He has published the books Droit de la prévention et du règlement des différends, and International Uniform Commercial Law, as well as co-edited New Developments in Civil and Commercial Mediation. He has been an arbitrator and mediator accredited by the IMAQ-UdeS, and a lawyer conducting investigations into psychological harassment in the workplace (accredited by the Barreau).

Justice Marquis has been an expert in legislative and judicial reforms for the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), among others. He founded the dispute prevention and resolution programs at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke. The Barreau du Québec conferred on him the title of Emeritus Lawyer (Ad. E.) in 2013 and the Mérite Award in 2016; he is also the 2018 recipient of the Canadian Bar Association's Paul-André-Crépeau Medal. He has always given of his time to the community and the profession, notably as a member of the Barreau du Québec's Disciplinary Committee and the Board of Directors of the Institut de médiation et d'arbitrage du Québec (IMAQ).

Judge Marquis is a multidisciplinary artist in his spare time, and a nature-loving sportsman who enjoys downhill skiing and trail running. He and his wife, Professor Geneviève Cartier, are the parents of four children whom they consider, along with their spouses, to be the foundation of their daily lives.

Justice Audrey Boctor was raised in Saskatchewan and lives in Montreal with her family. She obtained her civil and common law degrees from McGill University's Faculty of Law and her undergraduate degree from Western University.

Justice Boctor began her career as a law clerk to former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin at the Supreme Court of Canada. After practicing and teaching in New York, she joined IMK LLP in Montreal in 2010 and became a partner in 2016.  At IMK, her litigation practice spanned constitutional, administrative, civil and commercial law matters on behalf of a diverse clientele, including many on a pro bono basis. She argued before all levels of court, including several cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Boctor is a former president of CBA-Quebec and served as a director on the boards of CBA-National and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. A frequent speaker at legal conferences across Canada, she also taught Civil Procedure at University of Montreal and McGill. In 2021, she received the CBA SAGDA Ally Award for her litigation work advancing equality for LGBTQ2+ people in Canada, and in 2024 she received the Prix Jules-Deschênes for her exceptional service to CBA-Quebec. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Justice Boctor has been widely recognized as a leading litigator including by Chambers, Lexpert, Benchmark and Best Lawyers, and as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 745 judges since November 2015. This includes 120 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]