OTTAWA, June 24, 2019 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the new judicial application process introduced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable Carole A. Beaton, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, is appointed a Judge of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. Madam Justice Beaton replaces Mr. Justice J. Fichaud, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 31, 2018.
The Honourable Samuel Moreau, a Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division). Mr. Justice Moreau replaces Madam Justice B.A. MacDonald, who resigned effective November 30, 2018.
Biography
Justice Beaton was raised in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, and graduated from St. Francis Xavier University (B.A.) and the University of New Brunswick (LL.B.). Admitted to the bar in 1988, she practised as an associate at Creighton and Shatford in Amherst, Nova Scotia. In 1994, Justice Beaton was a founding partner of the Amherst firm Beaton Blaikie, where she practised primarily criminal and family law and represented several municipal institutions. She also sat as Taxing Master and a Regional Assessment Appeal Court adjudicator.
Justice Beaton served on various professional and community committees and boards. She also sat on Bar Council of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society and the executive of the Canadian Bar Association (NS Branch). In 2001, she was a recipient of the biannual Francis Fish Award honouring women lawyers who have achieved excellence in their profession and the community.
Justice Beaton was sworn in as a Provincial Court Judge in 2003. She heard primarily criminal matters and chaired the Court's Education Committee. She sat on the Atlantic Education Committee and, in 2010, was named co-chair of the National Education Committee of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges.
In 2011, Justice Beaton was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, assigned to sit in the Family Division in Halifax. She has participated on various court committees and belonged to several professional organizations. She has been actively involved in the development of judicial education programs and in mentoring the Court's newly appointed judges.
Justice Moreau was appointed to the Family Court for the Province of Nova Scotia in March 2017. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University, he studied law at Dalhousie University, where he received an LL.B in 1996. He articled with Nova Scotia Legal Aid (Halifax) and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1998. He practised with Nova Scotia Legal Aid in the areas of family law and criminal law.
Justice Moreau was an assistant coach with the St. Francis Xavier University Varsity Football team for 15 years. In 2002, he was named Atlantic University Sport Volunteer Coach of the year.
Justice Moreau lives in Amherst, Nova Scotia, with his wife Pauline and their daughter.
Quick Facts
- At the Superior Court level, more than 300 judges have been appointed since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S and those who self-identify as having a disability.
- The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 will provide funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- In addition, Budget 2018 provided funding for a further seven judicial positions in Saskatchewan and Ontario, at a cost of $17.1 million over five years.
- The funding outlined in Budget 2018 comes on top of resources allocated under Budget 2017, which created 28 new judicial positions across the country.
- In addition, the Government will invest $6 million over two years, beginning in 2018-2019, to support the judicial discipline process through which allegations of judicial misconduct are investigated. In this way, the Government will ensure that a robust process remains in place to allow Canadians to voice their concerns and submit complaints about judicial conduct to the Canadian Judicial Council and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs.
- 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. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.
SOURCE Department of Justice Canada
Media may contact: Rachel Rappaport, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]
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