FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, December 12, 2002 -- The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

Johanne Gauthier of Montréal is appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Canada – Trial Division.  She fills a newly created position on the Court.

Madam Justice Gauthier received a Bachelor of Laws from l’Université de Montréal
in 1977, and a Master of Laws in 1978 from the London School of Economics.  She was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1979.  Prior to her appointment, she was a partner with the Montréal firm of Ogilvy Renault, practicing primarily in the area of intellectual property and maritime law.  She has appeared before the trial and appellate courts in Quebec as well as before the Federal Court of Canada and various administrative tribunals. 

Madam Justice Gauthier is former President of the Canadian Maritime Law Association and, at the time of her appointment, was serving as Chair of the Electronic Commerce Institute of Quebec.

James Russell of Saskatoon is appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Canada – Trial Division.  He fills a newly created position on the Court.

Mr. Justice Russell received an M.A. (Law) from the University of Cambridge in 1979, and was admitted to the Law Society of Saskatchewan in 1983.  He began practice with Gauley & Company (now known as McDougall Gauley) and, at the time of his appointment, was a partner in the Saskatoon office of that firm.  Throughout his career, Mr. Justice Russell practiced primarily in corporate and commercial law and in recent years, has specialized in the areas of intellectual and industrial property law.  In 2001, he acted as Chief Counsel to the North Battleford Water Inquiry.

As well as having been a Sessional Lecturer in his areas of expertise for the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, Mr. Justice Russell has been very active with various legal education programs for the Law Society of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Legal Education Society and the Canadian Bar Association.  In 2001, he was appointed a member of the Federal Court of Canada Rules Committee.

James W. O’Reilly of Ottawa is appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Canada – Trial Division. He fills a newly created position on the Court.

Mr. Justice O’Reilly received a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1982 and a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa in 1988.  He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1985.

After serving as Executive Legal Officer to the Right Honourable Antonio Lamer and to the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Mr. Justice O’Reilly joined the National Judicial Institute in Ottawa. During his years in private practice, he provided advice to various government departments, agencies and public inquiries in the areas of constitutional, criminal and human rights law.

Mr. Justice O’Reilly has been a frequent presenter and is the author of numerous publications in his areas of expertise.  He is a former secretary of the Criminal Law Committee of the International Bar Association and served on the Editorial Board of the National Journal of Constitutional Law.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:    

Mike Murphy
Special Assistant - Communications
Minister’s Office
(613) 992-4621