Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Quebec
News release
December 4, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, 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 the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Ian Demers, General Counsel at the Department of Justice Canada in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Demers replaces Justice S.J. Reimnitz (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective December 13, 2022.
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“I wish Justice Demers every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve Quebecers well as a member of the Superior Court of Quebec.”
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Ian Demers received his LL.B. from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in 1995 and his LL.M. from the Université de Montréal in comparative constitutional and criminal law in 2000. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1998.
At the time of his appointment, he was General Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada. He appeared for the federal government before the Supreme Court of Canada, Quebec and federal courts in constitutional law, administrative law, civil litigation, and tax law.
As a lecturer at UQAM from 2003 to 2023, Justice Demers taught constitutional law, advanced constitutional law, administrative law, judicial review, civil law of evidence, immigration law, and federal U.S. constitutional law. He coached UQAM’s team for the Laskin Moot. He taught administrative law at the École du Barreau du Québec for five years and has published in the Collection de droit since 2017. He is the current author of Le contrôle judiciaire de l’action gouvernementale (Wolters Kluwer) and coauthor of “Fondements du contrôle judiciaire” in JurisClasseur—Droit administratif (LexisNexis) with Mtre. Dominique Guimond. He has delivered lectures at numerous conferences and more than 150 departmental and interdepartmental training sessions.
Quick facts
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The Government of Canada has appointed more than 675 judges since November 2015. The Honourable Arif Virani has made 49 appointments since becoming Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
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To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
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Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
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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.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Chantalle Aubertin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
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