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

May 26, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable David Lametti, 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.

Pierre A. Béliveau, counsel at Marceau & Boudreau Avocats in Blainville, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Mr. Justice Béliveau replaces Mr. Justice F. Bachand (Montréal), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal effective November 18, 2020.

Marie-Claude Rigaud, professor of law at the Université de Montréal, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Madam Justice Rigaud replaces Madam Justice M. Gaudreau (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective December 17, 2020.

Quote

“I wish Justices Béliveau and Rigaud every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Québec well as members of the Superior Court.”

—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biographies

Justice Pierre A. Béliveau earned an LL.B. from Université de Montréal in 1989 and was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1991.

After articling with the Department of Justice Canada, Mr. Justice Béliveau pursued a career in private practice in the Laurentides region. At the time of his appointment, he had been the director of the family law division of Marceau & Boudreau Avocats since 2015.

During his career as a lawyer, Justice Béliveau appeared in numerous cases before the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal of Quebec, mainly in family matters, but also in civil matters. He taught family law at the École du Barreau from 2012 until his appointment. Following his call to the Barreau, Justice Béliveau completed his training in family mediation and was among the first lawyers to act as mediator in the Laurentides region. He was also a member of the Barreau du Québec’s Comité sur l’arbitrage des comptes d’honoraires des avocats since 2010.

Madam Justice Marie-Claude Rigaud was born in Paris. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, McGill University (B.C.L., LL.B.), and of the Faculty of Law, Université Paris-Est Créteil (Paris-XII), which awarded her a Doctor of Laws degree (summa cum laude) for her thesis on transnational arbitration proceedings. She has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 2003 and was a member of the Law Society of Ontario from 1995 to 2015.

Madam Justice Rigaud articled with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, in the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and then worked for many years in the fields of immigration law and dispute resolution in Toronto, Zurich and then Montréal before devoting herself to teaching and research. At the time of her appointment, Justice Rigaud had been a professor in the Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal, since 2010. She has also served as faculty secretary and associate dean for external affairs and communications, and most recently as associate secretary general for equity, diversity, inclusion and First Peoples relations.

Justice Rigaud’s research and various publications focus on dispute prevention and resolution methods, as well as professional ethics and conduct. She has been the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Arbitration and Mediation. Over the years, she has taught hundreds of students in Quebec and abroad, including Italy and France. She has also taught at the École du Barreau in the areas of ethics, professional conduct and arbitration. Throughout her career, she has served on numerous committees under the auspices of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association for Legal Ethics and the Barreau du Québec, among others.

Justice Rigaud and her husband are the proud parents of six children.