QUEBEC JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, April 27, 2007 -- 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 appointments:

The Honourable Sophie Picard, a lawyer in the firm of Desjardins Ducharme, LLP in Montreal, is appointed a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec. She replaces Mr. Justice C. Trudel ( Montreal) who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Madam Justice Picard received a diplôme d’études spécialisées en droit commercial in 1991 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1988 from l’Université de Montréal and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1989. She has practised with the firms Smart & Biggar (1990-1993) and Desjardins Ducharme (1993-2007), She has developed her bilingual practice expertise in litigation and dispute resolution particularly in the areas of technology law, communications law, intellectual property law, and entertainment law. Madam Justice Picard is a speaker and author on intellectual property law matters with recent professional publications including "The Barbie Case : Fame is not Everything" (September/October 2006 issue of the Trademark Reporter of the International Trademark Assocation). She is active in the community as a Board Member of le Chœur de la Montagne.

The Honourable Dominique Goulet , general partner of the firm Noël & Associés in Gatineau, is appointed a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the Districts of Hull, Labelle and Pontiac, in the Province of Quebec. He replaces Mr. Justice J.-P. Plouffe ( Hull) who elected to become a supernumerary judge.

Mr. Justice Goulet received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa in 1989 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1990 . He has practised with the firm Bélanger & Vianna from 1990 to1991 and Noël & Associés and its predecessor firms from 1991 to 2007 developing a bilingual practice expertise in the areas of civil litigation, commercial law, construction law, banking law and bankruptcy law. Mr. Justice Goulet has also acted as a commercial arbitrator. He has been a Member of the Executive Committee of the Bar of Hull and an arbitrator for the Bar of Hull examining disputes regarding the taxing of legal fees. Mr. Justice Goulet is a frequent community speaker, instructor and invited guest discussing legal issues, including a regular guest of CBC Radio's weekly legal issues program "les chroniques juridiques radiophoniques" and a volunteer in the University of Ottawa, Faculty Law moot court programs.

These appointments are effective immediately.

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Ref.:
Geneviève Breton
Director of Communications
Minister’s Office
613-992-4621