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

OTTAWA, ON, March 3, 2025 /CNW/ - 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.

Steve Baribeau, Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, at Gouvernement du Québec in Saint-Jérôme, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Laval. Justice Baribeau fills one of the three remaining positions authorized under Bill C-74 (2018) in Laval.

Fany O'Bomsawin, a sole practitioner in Bromont, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec in Sherbrooke. Justice O'Bomsawin replaces Justice L. Samoisette (Sherbrooke), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 14, 2023.

Quote

"I wish Justices Baribeau and O'Bomsawin every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Quebecers well as members of the Superior Court of Quebec."

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biographies

Justice Steve Baribeau is originally from Louiseville, in the Mauricie region. He obtained a law degree from Laval University in 1996 and was called to Barreau du Québec in 1998.

Justice Baribeau began his career in private practice at the Lacoursière, Lebrun et Vézina firm in Trois-Rivières, where he practised criminal law from 1998 to 2001. He then joined the Substituts du procureur général (now Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales), where he spent more than 20 years of his career as a prosecutor. He has argued several large-scale, high-profile cases before judge and jury. He has had the opportunity to practise before all criminal courts in Canada, including the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Baribeau has taught at the École du Barreau du Québec since 2010, contributing to the training of numerous cohorts of young lawyers. Since 2022, he has also taught at the École nationale de police du Québec. He has given numerous lectures and training courses in criminal law, addressing law students, various bar associations, the bodyguards of ministers and the Premier of Quebec, as well as recruits of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was involved in the legal community as president of the Barreau de Laurentides-Lanaudière from 2017 to 2019.

Justice Baribeau is passionate about sport. Tennis, field hockey, and spinning are at the centre of his daily routine.

Justice Fany O'Bomsawin is a member of Première Nation W8banaki (Abénakise). She is committed to reconnecting with her origins by learning aln8ba8dwa8gan, the Abenaki language. She obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Montréal in 1998, after completing a Bachelor of Industrial Relations degree at the same university in 1995. She has been a member of Barreau du Québec since 1999.

Justice O'Bomsawin began her career at McCarthy Tétrault, where she practised law for nearly seven years. She then continued her career at a boutique firm where she became a partner. As a litigator, she gained extensive experience in labour and employment law, covering a variety of areas including litigation relating to charters, employment contracts, injunctions and judicial reviews. She has argued before several administrative tribunals as well as the Court of Québec, the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal of Québec. At the time of her appointment, she proudly served as a grievance arbitrator and accredited mediator.

Justice O'Bomsawin was listed in the Best Lawyers® in Canada directory in the labour law category. Committed to her community, she has served on various boards of directors of cultural and educational organizations, including UQAM. For several years, she was also a director of Moelle Épinière et Motricité Québec (MÉMO-Qc), an organization founded almost 80 years ago that works for the independence and quality of life of people with disabilities.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 850 judges since November 2015. This includes 223 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