Former Quebec judge and politician Maximilien Polak dies at 92

Maximilien Polak, a former Quebec judge, politician, and prominent figure in Jewish and Anglophone communities, has died at age 92.

Polak served on the bench for over 15 years and was elected to the National Assembly in the 1980s.

According to Marvin Rotrand, former Montreal city councillor and director of Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith, Polak was a "strong voice for minority" rights during his time in office.

"He was a distinguished lawyer graduating from the University of Montreal in French at a time when few Jewish students completed their degrees there," Rotrand noted in a Wednesday night press release.

A Dutch immigrant, Polak arrived in Canada in 1952, earning his law degree at the Université de Montréal.

He practiced as a lawyer in the 1960s, becoming a Côte-Saint-Luc municipal court judge in the following decade.

Polak would eventually make the move to politics, elected with the Quebec Liberal Party in 1981. He served as deputy whip for the provincial Liberals in 1985.

He wouldn't seek re-election in 1989, instead assuming the role of Quebec court judge until his retirement in 2005.

He is survived by his three children.

"Max Polak was the embodiment of a mensch. He was compassionate, inquisitive, witty and welcoming; a family man well loved by all who knew him," Rotrant added.

"The passing of Max Polak leaves a void for the Jewish community and for Canadian society."

This is developing story that will be updated.