Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Quebec

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 19, 2024 /CNW/ - 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.

Élif Oral, Of Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP in Québec, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Québec. Justice Oral replaces Justice F. Bergeron (Québec), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 1, 2024.

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"I wish Justice Oral every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she 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 Elif Oral is originally from Turkey, and immigrated to Canada at the age of two with her parents. Fluent in French, English and Turkish, she pursued her education in Québec and completed her graduate studies at Université Laval. She obtained a bachelor's degree in physics in 1998, a master's degree in medical nuclear physics in 2001, and a Bachelor of Laws in 2011. She was called to the Barreau du Québec in 2012.

Justice Oral has spent her entire career as a lawyer in the litigation group of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, in Québec. There, she devoted her time to the training and professional development of the next generation of lawyers, notably as an articling principal. Her expertise is recognized in insurance and commercial law, as well as in civil, professional, and environmental liability.

Justice Oral has given numerous training sessions for the Barreau du Québec and the Barreau de Québec. She participated in the development of the province-wide "Paperless Trials" training program, designed to promote the technological and digital shift in the justice system. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Barreau du Québec from 2019 to 2023, before taking up the role of bâtonnière in 2023–2024. At the time of her appointment, she was a member of the Lexius Advisory Committee of the Barreau du Québec and a member of the Information Technology Committee of the Barreau de Québec.

Justice Oral shares her life with her husband Pascal and stepson William, of whom she is very proud.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 815 judges since November 2015. This includes 189 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian history. 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.
• 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 provided 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada