Judicial Council to hold public hearing in Boilard case

OTTAWA, December 1, 2003 – A public hearing will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2003 to hear Mr. Justice Jean-Guy Boilard's response to the report of an inquiry into his July 2002 decision to withdraw from the Beauchamp "bikers" trial, the Canadian Judicial Council announced today.

The hearing will take place in the ballroom of the Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, beginning at 9 a.m.

An Inquiry Committee consisting of the Honourable John D. Richard, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Honourable J.J. Michel Robert, Chief Justice of Quebec and Mr. Michael Cain, Q.C., concluded in a report made public August 8, 2003 that Mr. Justice Boilard's decision was "improper" but not grounds for his removal from the bench. The inquiry was carried out at the request of the Attorney General of Quebec under s.63(1) of the Judges Act.

Council by-laws provide that a judge may respond to an Inquiry Committee report before an open meeting of Council members. Mr. Justice Boilard will be represented at the hearing by his counsel, Gerald R. Tremblay, Q.C. The Council will also hear from Jean-Yves Bernard, counsel for the Attorney General of Quebec, and Raynold Langlois, Q.C., independent counsel for the Inquiry.

Following the public hearing, the Council will retire to deliberate on its report to the Minister of Justice, required under s. 65(1) of the Judges Act.

The text of the Inquiry Committee report and relevant sections of the Judges Act and Council by-laws may be found at http://www.cjc-ccm.gc.ca/ .

Contact:

Ms. Jeannie Thomas
Executive Director
(613) 998-5182