Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of New Brunswick
News release
June 22, 2018 – 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.
The Honourable Denise LeBlanc, a judge of the Provincial Court of New Brunswick, is appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick, Trial Division. She replaces Madam Justice L.A. LaVigne, who was appointed to the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick on June 6, 2018.
Biography
Justice Denise A. LeBlanc received her law degree from the University of Moncton and was admitted to the New Brunswick bar in 1986. She went on to practise law for 28 years, specializing in the areas of civil litigation and corporate commercial law. In 2004, she was appointed Queen’s Council.
Prior to her appointment to the Provincial Court of New Brunswick in 2016, Justice LeBlanc was a partner at the law firm of McInnes Cooper in Moncton. Fluently bilingual, she has appeared before all levels of court in New Brunswick in both official languages. While still a lawyer, she also conducted hearings as a small claims adjudicator, was a supplemental member of the New Brunswick Securities Commission, served as Tribunal Chairperson under the province’s Mental Health Act, and chaired dispute panels under the Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade.
A dedicated member of the Law Society of New Brunswick, she served on several committees and was a lecturer at the Bar Admission Course for many years. She is a past president of the Canadian Bar Association (New Brunswick Division) and has held seats on the boards of organizations such as the Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association, the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Hospital Foundation, Villa Providence and Save the Children Canada.
During her tenure as a provincial court judge, Justice LeBlanc oversaw the language training program for provincially appointed judges and served as co-editor of the Provincial Judges’ Journal, published by the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges.
The daughter of Alphée and Edith LeBlanc, Justice LeBlanc and her spouse enjoy a large extended family that includes many friends.
Quick facts
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In 2017, the Minister of Justice made 100 appointments and elevations – the most a Minister of Justice has made in one year in at least two decades. Of these appointees, half are women, four are Indigenous, and 16 have self-identified as a member of a visible minority population, LGBTQ2, or a person with a disability.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 proposes $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
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In addition, Budget 2018 proposes funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.
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The funding outlined in Budget 2018 comes on top of resources allocated under Budget 2017, which created 28 new judicial positions across the country.
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Additionally, the Government will ensure that a robust process remains in place to allow Canadians to voice their concerns and submit complaints about judicial conduct to the Canadian Judicial Council and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. This investment of $6 million over two years, beginning in 2018-2019, will support the judicial discipline process through which allegations of judicial misconduct are investigated.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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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.
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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. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
David Taylor
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-4621
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
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