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The Superior Court of Québec: 175 years of building today’s society

Subtitles are available.

The Superior Court of Québec is a court made up of nearly 200 judges in the major cities and all regions of Québec. Today, nearly half of our team of judges are women, and our court continues to be enriched by more and more judges from diverse backgrounds and socio-cultural groups. The court is made up of different chambers. There is a family division, where judges hear cases involving divorce or custody of children, for example. There is also an administrative division, a commercial division, and a criminal division where judges preside over jury trials for serious criminal offences, such as murder.

Since the creation of the Superior Court in 1849, these judges have helped shape Quebec society as it is today. For example, the Superior Court has handed down rulings on abortion rights, same-sex marriage and medical assistance in dying, to name but a few.

The Superior Court of Quebec plays a key role in ensuring the respect of fundamental rights of citizens throughout Quebec, so that we can all live in a state governed by the rule of law that respects the principles of democracy. The Superior Court and its judges work independently, without political interference, outside influence or any other influence, not even from a relative, friend or fellow judge. We apply the law impartially and without bias. We strive tirelessly to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all parties involved in the cases we hear. As Superior Court judges, it is our mission to make justice better, more accessible and faster throughout Quebec, while respecting judicial independence, an essential component of our free and democratic society.

Jurivision has teamed up with the Superior Court of Québec to produce a video celebrating its 175th anniversary. The video will be presented as an introduction to the conferences given by the Court’s judges in Québec schools to mark the anniversary.

“Public confidence in the judicial system depends on a better understanding of it. It is therefore essential to explain what the Superior Court of Québec does, so that citizens fully understand its role and the work of its judges,” says Superior Court Chief Justice Marie-Anne Paquette. “Video is an accessible and captivating way of doing this.

“By working with the Québec Superior Court, we are strengthening an essential bridge between the academic world and the judicial system,” emphasizes Marie-Eve Sylvestre, Dean of the Faculty of Law’s Civil Law Section. “This collaboration aims to make the law and judicial activity more accessible and understandable for as many people as possible.”

This is the first step in a broader collaboration between Jurivision and the Superior Court. Our team is currently developing a project to explore in greater detail the history of the Court and its impact on Quebec society. Stay tuned!

References and useful links
About the guest
L’honorable Marie-Anne Paquette 
Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Québec.

She has been a member of the Superior Court since August 2010, and served as Coordinating Judge of the Court’s Commercial Division from 2020 until her appointment as Chief Justice in June 2022.

Before becoming a judge, Marie-Anne Paquette practised in the fields of civil and commercial litigation, class actions and professional liability with the firms Woods and McCarthy Tétrault.

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