Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette appoints a judge who is his friend

Quebec’s Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, denies having been influenced by his friendship with Charles-Olivier Gosselin in the process of appointing him as a judge of the Court of Quebec.

Gosselin was appointed on May 4 by Jolin-Barrette. However, the Minister is under fire because he confirmed that it was one of his friends.

The daily “Le Soleil” revealed the friendship between the two.

In a statement, Jolin-Barrette’s office said that the minister had developed friendships with several people since he has been in the justice system for 15 years. Those who have ties with him should not be “disqualified,” it said.

The office also pointed out that judges are selected through a “completely independent process that is strictly governed by the Courts of Justice Act and the Judicial Selection Process Regulations.

“In accordance with these regulations, it is not the Minister of Justice who evaluates and analyzes the candidates for the position of judge, it is an independent selection committee,” it added.

The cabinet assured that “all appointments are made on the basis of merit and competence.”

Criticism from the opposition

Opposition parties have raised questions about the appointment process.

“The minister has a moral obligation to present a recommendation to the Council of Ministers that does not raise doubts about the appointment. Such an important appointment should not raise any discomfort,” argued Liberal MP André Albert Morin.

Québec solidaire MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard also believes that the minister has some explaining to do.

“It is normal that this kind of situation raises questions. Minister Jolin-Barrette will have to answer questions to calm concerns,” he said in writing.

For its part, the Parti Québécois points out that the appointment raises questions about ethics and transparency.

“There are serious questions that arise, insofar as we still do not know if the Minister formally disclosed his conflict of interest when he made his recommendation to the Council of Ministers. We are asking him to quickly disclose this information, with supporting evidence,” said PQ leader Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon in a press release.

This report by The Canadian press was first published in French on May 12, 2023.