FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, February 20, 2008 - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Mr. Justice Pierre Blais, a Judge of the Federal Court, Trial Division, in Ottawa Ontario, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal. He replaces Mr. Justice J. B. D. Malone who resigned.

Mr. Justice Pierre Blais received a Bachelor of Laws in 1976 from Laval University, and a Bachelor of Arts in 1968. He was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1977. He practised as a partner with Morin, Lemieux, Blais from 1977 to 1984, was elected to the House of Commons in 1984 and re-elected in 1988. Mr. Justice Blais was s worn to the Privy Council in 1987, appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture in 1984, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Privy Council in 1985, Minister of State (Agriculture) in 1987, Solicitor General of Canada in 1989, Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture) in 1990, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada in 1993. Mr. Justice Blais also served as an associate partner with Langlois Gaudreau from 1993 to 1998, and he was appointed to the Federal Court, Trial Division June 23, 1998. He was appointed a Judicial Member of the Competition Tribunal in 2002 and appointed Chair of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal in 2007.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Darren Eke
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
613-992-4621