Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Quebec

October 20, 2017 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

François Dadour, a partner at Poupart, Dadour, Touma and Partners, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal. He replaces Mr. Justice B. Riordan, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 15, 2017.

Biography

Mr. Justice François Dadour received an LL.B. and an LL.M. from the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal. His master’s thesis, entitled AIDS and Criminal Justice: Impacts and Challenges!, received the Alma Mater prize and was published by Éditions Thémis in 1996. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1995, he spent his career practicing criminal law with the firm of Poupart, Dadour, Touma and Partners. As counsel, he has appeared before all levels of court, including the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, and has represented both adults and youth.

In 2008, Justice Dadour was named a special advocate by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Since 2008, he has acted in numerous files as a special advocate (including in a security certificate matter) and as amicus curiae for designated judges of the Federal Court. These roles are tied to procedures dealing with national security, including claims of privilege based on national security, national defence, and international relations.

For several years, Justice Dadour lectured at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal, as well as the École du Barreau. He has also authored several works on criminal law and national security law. Justice Dadour has chaired the Criminal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division, and in 2016 received the annual prize awarded by the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates de la défense.

Born in Quebec, Justice Dadour spent several years living in the Middle East, which allowed him to become proficient in Arabic and to become deeply familiar with Arab and Middle Eastern culture.

Excerpts from Justice Dadour’s judicial application will be available shortly.

Quick Facts

• Budget 2017 includes additional funding of $55 million over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and $15.5 million per year thereafter for 28 new federally appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 have been allotted to Alberta and one to the Yukon, with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions.
• To ensure a judiciary that is responsive, ethical and sensitive to the evolving needs of Canadian society, the Canadian Judicial Council will receive $2.7 million over five years and $0.5 million ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity.
• 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 Judicial Advisory Committees in 15 jurisdictions have been reconstituted. Most recently, Minister Wilson-Raybould announced the composition of five new Judicial Advisory Committees on June 28, 2017.
• This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canada judicial appointment process opened on July 14, 2017. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a thoroughly vetted list of candidates.

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