Justice Marie-Anne Paquette has been appointed by Ottawa as chief justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.
Justice Paquette, who was coordinating judge of the commercial division of the Superior Court, will replace Justice Jacques Robert Fournier, who announced his resignation last December. Judge Fournier, a highly regarded judge, is retiring but will remain available as a supernumerary judge.
The appointment was confirmed Monday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau said in a news release that Judge Paquette "brings a wealth of experience to the position, including more than 10 years as a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec."
Although she has served as a Superior Court judge since 2010, Judge Paquette is not well known to the general public, having worked in civil and commercial matters, a sector where cases rarely make the headlines.
A DIFFICULT TIME
Her appointment comes at a time when the courts are facing a serious staffing shortage. Last October, her predecessor issued a stern warning in a public speech, denouncing a lack of clerks, judicial assistants and bailiffs. This glaring understaffing is attributed, according to Judge Fournier, to low salaries.
With her appointment, the province's main courts are now headed by women, with the Quebec court having Lucie Rondeau as chief justice and the Quebec Court of Appeal being headed by Chief Justice Manon Savard. The municipal court is headed by Associate Chief Justice Claudie Bélanger of the court of Quebec.
Appointments to the Superior Court are made by the federal government, as are those to the Court of Appeal. Judges of the court of Quebec, the municipal court and justices of the peace are appointed by the provincial government.
Chief justices and associate chief justices are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of cabinet and on the recommendation of the premier.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 6, 2022
