The Minister of Justice cancels a 2nd call for applications for the position of judge in Val-d’Or

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Several calls for applications for judge positions have been canceled since 2020. (Archive photo)

• Jean-Marc Belzile (Consult the profile)Jean-Marc Belzile

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The Minister of Justice of Quebec, Simon Jolin-Barrette, cancels for a second time a call for applications for the position of judge in Val-d'Or. A situation described as “excessively rare” by various actors in the justice sector. Opposition parties are demanding explanations from the minister.

The first call for applications for this position of judge at the Court of Quebec of Val-d'Or had been canceled at the beginning of 2023. The minister had mentioned in an interview with La Presse at that time that exceptional circumstances arise where a second opinion must be given. He refused to provide further explanations on the reasons justifying this decision.

A second call for applications was then launched. Interested candidates had until September 2023 to apply. However, Minister Jolin-Barrette has once again canceled the call for applications.

The minister's office indicates that the process is confidential and that the minister cannot comment on the subject. By email we specify that it may happen, for example, that the number of applications is insufficient, that the selection committee is not able to make a recommendation, or that we are informed of an issue in relation to a candidate after submission of the report. In some cases, positions are indeed more difficult to fill and it is sometimes necessary to launch more than one competition.

Two calls for applications for the position of judge in Val-d'Or were canceled in 2023-2024. (File photo)

Radio-Canada tried to find out if there will be a third display, but the minister's office specifies that the rest of the steps will be known in due course.

The Ministry of Justice refers us to article 3 of the Regulation on the procedure for selecting candidates for the office of judge of the Court of Quebec. It stipulates that if the minister considers, after having received the committee's report and taking into account the list of proposed candidates that he cannot, in the best interests of justice, choose for a position a candidate in In view of a recommendation to the Council of Ministers for an appointment, the competition is canceled for this position.

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The Quebec Bar did not wish to grant an interview on the subject, ensuring that it was not informed of the reasons underlying the cancellation of the call for applications. We obviously want the position to be filled as quickly as possible, considering the important needs of our justice system, we specify by email.

In the legal community in Val-d'Or, the situation raises concerns, especially since another call for applications is still open, this time with the aim of replacing Judge Jean-Pierre Gervais, who will retire.

The spokesperson for the Liberal Party of Quebec on justice and MP for Acadia, André Albert Morin, says he is very surprised to see this cancellation.

Canceled a competition twice, I don't remember seeing that, explains the man who is also a lawyer. p>Open in full screen mode

Me André Albert Morin is a former chief federal prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada for the Quebec region. (Archive photo)

The committee makes a report to the minister and after that the minister decides with the list that is made. Is it because there are no candidates? Listen, anything is possible. It’s a hypothesis, but now judicial positions are open to notaries and lawyers who have more than 10 years of practice. That there is no notary or lawyer in Val-d'Or who can fulfill these functions or at the very least be selected, listen, everything is possible, but allow me to be surprised, adds André Albert Morin specifying that people from outside the region can also apply.

What is worrying is that the minister does not explain this second cancellation of the competition. Such a process does not belong to the minister, it is an institutional process, I think that to reassure litigants, to maintain confidence in the justice system, it would be necessary to explain what is currently happening, adds the spokesperson. word of the Parti Québécois in matters of justice and MP for Jean-Talon, Pascal Paradis.

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The PQ MP, Pascal Paradis, is also concerned about the situation. (Archive photo)

The MP and lawyer, Pascal Paradis, believes that the situation lacks transparency.

While respecting its obligation of confidentiality, it would be to explain why the competition is canceled for a second time because if the reason and I mean if the reason is that we don't like the applications we see on the list, that raises other questions, but there we don't know, he adds

There is always a way to improve the process, could there be modifications that would ensure that the minister would have to give a reason why he is canceling a competition, this is something that could be considered, explains André Albert Morin of the Liberal Party of Quebec.

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