(Montreal) Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette appointed Henri Richard head of the Quebec Court of Justice on Wednesday afternoon. The person most affected will take office on October 26th.
Posted at 7:42 p.m.
Marie-Ève Martel The Canadian Press
The person who holds the position of Chief Justice of the Court of Quebec automatically holds the position of President of the Conseil de la Magistrature du Québec, it is also stated.
Mr. Richard was appointed judge of the Court of Quebec in Montreal in September 2006.
Judge Richard’s appointment follows a nomination process in which an advisory committee evaluated all candidates before making a recommendation to the Minister.
According to a press release, this committee consisted of Me Yan Paquette, Deputy Minister of Justice, Me Annick Murphy, retired Director of Criminal and Correctional Services, Mr. Yvan Niquette, retired President of the Legal Services Commission, and Me Catherine Cartier, Director General of the Montérégie Crime Victim Assistance Center.
Mr. Richard succeeds Justice Lucie Rondeau, who was appointed head of the Quebec Court of Justice in October 2016 and whose term has expired.
Ms. Rondeau and Minister Jolin-Barrette have had several disagreements, particularly regarding the judicial reform proposed by the Chief Justice.
A series of mediation sessions to reach an agreement last winter cost Quebec taxpayers $25,000, Le Devoir reported in April.