2009-2010

Mtre Jérôme Choquette, c.r.

Admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1948, Mtre Jérôme Choquette earned law degree from McGill and a doctorate in economics from the Faculty of Law in Paris.  Throughout his career, he has practiced law in alternation with numerous political offices. He now practices at the firm of Choquette Beaupré Rhéaume.

As Liberal MNA in 1966, he was especially notable as Minister of Justice, a position he held from 1970 to 1975.

In preparation for future projects, Mtre Choquette wrote a white paper entitled “Contemporary Justice,” describing future reforms.  In fact, during his term of office, the Québec legal system underwent a number of major reforms, including the creation of Legal Aid and the Small Claims Court.  He also presided over the adoption of the Crime Victims Compensation Act, the Youth Protection Act and, finally, the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

These achievements make Mtre Choquette, whose commitment to making justice accessible to all is unquestioned, one of Québec’s greatest Ministers of Justice.  It is to pay tribute to his indelible mark on the Québec legal system that the Bar of Montreal presents him with its highest distinction.