Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Quebec

News release

January 31, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Justice Canada  

The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process introduced 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 Stéphane Sansfaçon, a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec in Montréal. He replaces Justice M. St-Pierre, who elected to resign effective December 1, 2018.

Biography

The Honourable Stéphane Sansfaçon was appointed a judge of the Quebec Superior Court for the District of Montréal on March 3, 2011. Born in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, his university studies took him first to Vancouver, where he earned a B.A. in economics at Simon Fraser University, and then to the Université de Montréal for his law degree.

Prior to his judicial appointment, Justice Sansfaçon was a partner at Rochon Prévost Auclair Fortin D’Aoust (today known as PFD Lawyers), practising mainly in the fields of administrative law, including municipal and environmental law, and civil law. He was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1985 and was a member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Justice Sansfaçon has written a number of specialized articles and a loose-leaf for lawyers and municipal officials on writing municipal bylaws. Over the years, he has also given numerous lectures for the Barreau du Québec and other organizations in his fields of expertise, as well as on the timelines for contesting municipal bylaws, indirect taxation, contract adjudication, vague or discriminatory regulations, agreements related to municipal works, mixed enterprises, and vested rights.

Most recently, he was a guest lecturer for the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice as part of the Advanced Judicial Seminar on Administrative Law held at the University of Ottawa.

Quick facts

  • Since 2016, the Government of Canada has made over 250 judicial appointments.

  • Canada’s judiciary is internationally renowned and respected for its independence and diversity. In October 2016, the government introduced important reforms to the appointments process, aimed at strengthening the selection process. Of the individuals appointed under the new process, over half are women, eight are Indigenous, 20 identify as visible minorities, 13 identify as LGBTQ2, and three identify as persons with disabilities.

  • The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 will provide funding of $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.

  • In addition, Budget 2018 provided funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.

  • The funding outlined in Budget 2018 comes on top of resources allocated under Budget 2017, which created 28 new judicial positions across the country.

  • In addition, the Government will invest $6 million over two years, beginning in 2018-2019, to support the judicial discipline process through which allegations of judicial misconduct are investigated. In this way, 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.

  • 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. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Célia Canon
Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-862-3270

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

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