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

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 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.

The Honourable Alexandre Boucher, a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal, is appointed a puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec in Montréal. Justice Boucher replaces Justice G. Cournoyer (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 24, 2025.

The Honourable Stéphane Poulin, a Judge of the Court of Quebec, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Québec. Justice Poulin replaces Justice J. April (Québec), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective May 20, 2025.

Karine Joizil, Partner at McCarthy Tétrault in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Joizil replaces Justice P. Nollet (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective April 23, 2025.

Maude Grenier, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Grenier replaces Justice G. Beaugé (Montréal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 18, 2025.

Marianna Ferraro, Prosecutor at the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions in Montréal, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal. Justice Ferraro replaces Justice A. Boucher (Montréal) who was elevated to the Court of Appeal of Quebec effective December 12, 2025.

Quote

"I wish Justices Boucher, Poulin, Joizil, Grenier, and Ferraro every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Québec well as members of the Court of Appeal of Quebec and the Superior Court of Quebec."

-- The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Biographies

Justice Alexandre Boucher received a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal in 1994 and a Master of Laws (Criminal) from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2010. He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1995.

Prior to his appointment to the Superior Court of Quebec in 2015, Justice Boucher had joined the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions in 2010 and was previously a sole practitioner from 1995 to 2010. He was an agent with the Public Prosecution Service from 2006 to 2009.

Justice Boucher is a past vice-president and board member of the Conseil exécutif de l'Association des avocats de la défense de Montréal, as well as a past president and board member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Justice Stéphane Poulin was born and raised in Québec City. He holds a bachelor's degree in law from Laval University (1995). He was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1996.

Justice Poulin was appointed to the Court of Quebec in 2019 and sat on the Criminal and Penal Division until his appointment to the Superior Court. During his six years at the Court of Quebec, he was involved in various committees and training activities. Before becoming a judge, he was a partner at Bédard Poulin Avocats LLP. He practiced law for nearly 23 years in various private firms. He practiced criminal law as a defense attorney and criminal law as an external prosecutor for a parapublic organization. He also practiced general civil law and administrative law. During his career, he has represented individuals, businesses, and public entities. His multifaceted practice has led him to plead cases before both civil and criminal courts.

Justice Poulin has been together with his wife Sophie for over 30 years and they are the proud parents of two children. He is passionate about music and enjoys various sports activities.

Justice Karine Joizil holds a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Montréal and a specialized graduate diploma in public administration from the École nationale d'administration publique. She was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 2001.

Justice Joizil began her practice at Fasken Martineau in Montréal, primarily in litigation in the areas of civil liability, administrative law, and intellectual property. She subsequently joined a boutique litigation firm and a regional firm. At the time of her appointment, she was practicing with the litigation group at McCarthy Tétrault, managing major civil and commercial litigation cases, particularly in the areas of medical liability and class actions. She also has expertise in the fields of access to information and privacy.

Justice Joizil also taught public and administrative law at the École du Barreau du Québec for nearly 20 years. She has served as a formal and informal mentor to many young lawyers. In addition, she has been actively involved in her community and profession as a member of various boards of directors and committees, including the Jeune chambre de commerce haïtienne, the Canadian Bar Association--Quebec Branch, the Advocates' Society, and the Advisory Committee of the Faculty of Law at the University of Montréal.

Justice Joizil is married and has two children.

Justice Maude Grenier obtained an LL.B. from the University of Sherbrooke in 2006. She was called to the Barreau du Québec in 2007.

After initially working as a law clerk at the Court of Appeal of Quebec, Justice Grenier began practicing employment and labor law at Ogilvy Renault, now Norton Rose Fulbright, in 2008. She was named partner in 2017. An accomplished litigator, she has appeared before numerous administrative tribunals, the Superior Court of Quebec, and the Court of Appeal of Quebec.

Justice Grenier chaired the Bar of Montréal's liaison Committee with the Conférence des arbitres du Québec for many years, was a member of the grievance arbitration subcommittee of the Labor and Workforce Advisory Committee, and taught at the École du Barreau du Québec. She has served on the board of directors of the Conseil du patronat du Québec and on the partnership committee of Norton Rose Fulbright. At the community level, she has served as a director of the Youth Protection Director's Youth Foundation. As an author of numerous feature articles and a frequent speaker, she has addressed topics such as non-competition and no-hire clauses, long-term incentive plans, and garden leave clauses. Her expertise has been recognized by numerous publications, including Chambers Canada, Lexpert, and Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers.

Justice Grenier loves road cycling and downhill skiing, which she enjoys with her husband and their two sons, Matti and Thomas.

Justice Marianna Ferraro is a graduate of McGill University's Faculty of Law, where she obtained a double bachelor's degree in civil law and common law (B.C.L./LL.B.). She also holds a master's degree in criminal law from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Barreau du Québec in 2008.

Justice Ferraro began her practice at McCarthy Tétrault as a litigation lawyer. From 2011 to 2017, she worked as a prosecutor at the Autorité des marchés financiers, focusing specifically on insider trading and market manipulation cases. Since 2017, she had been a prosecutor with the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions in Montréal. As part of her duties, she worked with the appeals team and the trials team. She argued high-profile criminal and penal cases before all courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Ferraro was known for her commitment to education. She designed and taught the advanced criminal law course at McGill University's Faculty of Law from 2021 to 2024. She also served as a coach for the Guy-Guérin/Sopinka moot court competition for eight years and provided numerous training sessions to her colleagues throughout her career.

Quick Facts

• 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.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Lola Dandybaeva, Manager of Media Relations, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency343-549-0347, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]