OTTAWA, February 27, 2004 - The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today announced the following appointment:

France Charbonneau of Montréal is appointed a judge of the Superior Court for the District of Montreal in the Province of Quebec. She replaces Madam Justice Dionysia Zerbisias who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Madam Justice Charbonneau received a Bachelor of Laws from l'Université de Montréal in 1977, and was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1978.

Since 1979, she has been a Crown attorney, first with the Bureau des substituts du procureur général and, more recently, with the Bureau du service conseil.

Madam Justice Charbonneau has taught criminal law at l'Université Laval as well as at l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and the Barreau du Québec. She has sat on the discipline committee of the Barreau du Québec since 1994, and also was a member of the Association des procureurs de la couronne du Québec and of the International Association of Crown Attorneys.

Madam Justice Charbonneau is a lecturer and the author of various publications on criminal law matters.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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Ref.:

Sylvain Beaudry
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621