The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments 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.
The Honourable Myriam Lachance, a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec in Montréal. Justice Lachance replaces Justice R.M. Mainville (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective November 27, 2023.
Louis Marquis, Mediator and arbitrator at Marquis médiation et arbitrage inc. in Sherbrooke, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the districts of Saint François and Bedford in Sherbrooke. Justice Marquis replaces Justice C. Ouellet (Sherbrooke), who resigned effective October 1, 2023.
Audrey Boctor, Partner at IMK LLP in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Boctor Justice J. Harvie (Montréal), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal of Quebec on December 15, 2023.
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"I wish Justices Lachance, Marquis, and Boctor every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Quebecers well as members of the Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Quebec."
-The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biographies
Justice Myriam Lachance obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sherbrooke and was called to the Quebec Bar in 1994.
Justice Lachance was appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal in 2017. She was previously appointed a judge of the Criminal and Penal Division of the Court of Quebec in the district of Montreal in 2014. Before becoming a member of the judiciary, she practised in the areas of criminal law, disciplinary law and professional ethics, and internal police investigations. She acted both for the defence and the prosecution, serving as an agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and as a prosecutor for the Attorney General of Quebec. She taught constitutional rights at the graduate level at the Université de Sherbrooke and taught criminal law at both the École du Barreau and the programme des Techniques policières at the Cégep de Sherbrooke.
Justice Lachance served as bâtonnière of the Barreau de St-François (2009-2010) and served on the board of the Association des avocats et avocates de province (2011-2014). She also served on the executive of the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates de la défense (2005-2012). She has lectured extensively for the Barreau du Québec on topics including police powers and duties and constitutional rights.
Justice Louis Marquis graduated from the Université de Sherbrooke (LL.B.), the University of Cambridge (LL.M.), and the University of British Columbia (Ph.D.). He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1988.
Justice Marquis has served as dean, secretary general and, vice-rector in Ontario and Quebec. He has published the books Droit de la prévention et du règlement des différends, and International Uniform Commercial Law, as well as co-edited New Developments in Civil and Commercial Mediation. He has been an arbitrator and mediator accredited by the IMAQ-UdeS, and a lawyer conducting investigations into psychological harassment in the workplace (accredited by the Barreau).
Justice Marquis has been an expert in legislative and judicial reforms for the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), among others. He founded the dispute prevention and resolution programs at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke. The Barreau du Québec conferred on him the title of Emeritus Lawyer (Ad. E.) in 2013 and the Mérite Award in 2016; he is also the 2018 recipient of the Canadian Bar Association's Paul-André-Crépeau Medal. He has always given of his time to the community and the profession, notably as a member of the Barreau du Québec's Disciplinary Committee and the Board of Directors of the Institut de médiation et d'arbitrage du Québec (IMAQ).
Judge Marquis is a multidisciplinary artist in his spare time, and a nature-loving sportsman who enjoys downhill skiing and trail running. He and his wife, Professor Geneviève Cartier, are the parents of four children whom they consider, along with their spouses, to be the foundation of their daily lives.
Justice Audrey Boctor was raised in Saskatchewan and lives in Montreal with her family. She obtained her civil and common law degrees from McGill University's Faculty of Law and her undergraduate degree from Western University.
Justice Boctor began her career as a law clerk to former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin at the Supreme Court of Canada. After practicing and teaching in New York, she joined IMK LLP in Montreal in 2010 and became a partner in 2016. At IMK, her litigation practice spanned constitutional, administrative, civil and commercial law matters on behalf of a diverse clientele, including many on a pro bono basis. She argued before all levels of court, including several cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Justice Boctor is a former president of CBA-Quebec and served as a director on the boards of CBA-National and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. A frequent speaker at legal conferences across Canada, she also taught Civil Procedure at University of Montreal and McGill. In 2021, she received the CBA SAGDA Ally Award for her litigation work advancing equality for LGBTQ2+ people in Canada, and in 2024 she received the Prix Jules-Deschênes for her exceptional service to CBA-Quebec. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Justice Boctor has been widely recognized as a leading litigator including by Chambers, Lexpert, Benchmark and Best Lawyers, and as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer.
