Former justice minister David Lametti resigns as Montreal MP to join law firm

Former justice minister and Montreal MP David Lametti says he is resigning from public office as of the end of this month.

Lametti made the announcement Thursday, saying in a statement that he resigns with “mixed emotions” but his constituents would benefit from a change.

He was first elected in 2015, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him as federal justice minister and attorney general in 2019.

The former law professor remained in that role until he was shuffled out of cabinet last July and replaced with current Justice Minister Arif Virani.

“It is with some sadness that I am leaving a dream job. Since the changes made to cabinet in the summer of 2023, I have continued to do my best to fulfil my duties as a member of Parliament,” he said.

“This period has been challenging personally, as one might imagine, and I sincerely believe that after eight intense years, constituents of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun — and I am one of them — would benefit from a change of voice and style.”

Lametti said he was one of the longest-serving Liberal justice ministers of the past few decades, and his statement listed accomplishments including passing 13 bills.

He said he is joining the Fasken Martineau DuMoulin law firm, where one of his focuses will be on Indigenous law.

Reflecting on his previous title as justice minister, Lametti said in his letter that he served “during an extraordinary time.”

That included “a pandemic, an occupation of border crossings and downtown Ottawa necessitating the invocation of the Emergencies Act and a war in Europe,” he wrote.

“I am proud of the role I played in each of these situations.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2024.