Government of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Québec
News release
April 6, 2020 – 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 judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Mark Phillips, counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Montréal, is appointed a puisne judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Mr. Justice Phillips replaces Mr. Justice C. Auclair (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 24, 2019.
Biography
Justice Mark Phillips, obtained degrees in both civil and common law from McGill University in 1993 and was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1995. He began his practice as a litigator at the firm Guy & Gilbert and joined the firm McCarthy Tétrault in 1999. Since 2005, he had been practising in the Disputes group at Borden Ladner Gervais.
As a trial lawyer, Justice Phillips appeared on numerous occasions before the Superior Court of Québec and the Court of Québec, in cases involving both private and public law. He also represented clients in the context of arbitrations and before approximately twenty different administrative tribunals. Justice Phillips also has a keen interest in appellate advocacy and judicial review, which led him to appear before the Superior Court of Québec, the Québec Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada, notably in cases involving the defence of fundamental rights and freedoms.
His areas of practice included civil and commercial litigation, professional liability, health law, disciplinary law, constitutional law, Aboriginal law, and statutory offences. He has published in the areas of evidence and civil procedure, and has spoken on numerous occasions on various issues in the area of administrative law.
Justice Phillips and his wife are the parents of a daughter whom they adopted in China, now in her twenties.
Quick facts
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At the Superior Court level, more than 350 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and those who self-identify as having 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 provides 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.
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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.
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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.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Rachel Rappaport
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-6568
rachel.rappaport@justice.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
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