Marie Deschamps

The Honourable Marie Deschamps CC
Chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
Incumbent
Assumed office circa. 2021
Appointed by	Justin Trudeau
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
In office August 7, 2002 – August 7, 2012
Nominated by	Jean Chrétien
Preceded by	Claire L'Heureux-Dubé
Succeeded by	Richard Wagner
Personal details
Born	(1952-10-02) October 2, 1952 (age 72) Repentigny, Quebec

Marie Deschamps, CC (born October 2, 1952) is a former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.^[1] She retired from the court on August 7, 2012.^[2] In September 2019, Deschamps was appointed as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency and was made its Chair in 2021.^[3]

Early life

Deschamps was born in Repentigny, Quebec.

Education

She studied law at the Université de Montréal, graduating in 1974, and completing a Master of Law (LL.M) in 1983 at McGill.^[4]

Career

Legal and judicial

She was called to the bar in 1975 and then practised civil, commercial and family law at several Quebec law firms until 1990.^[5]

In April 1990, Deschamps was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court and in March 1992 to the Quebec Court of Appeal. She was promoted to the Supreme Court of Canada in September 2002, at the age of 49, as the 75th judge appointed to the Supreme Court.^[6] She retired from the court on August 7, 2012.

On October 2, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper nominated Richard Wagner to the Supreme Court of Canada to replace her.^[7]

In 2014, the Government of Canada named Justice Deschamps to conduct an external review into sexual assault in the Canadian Forces.^[8] The report was published on March 27, 2015.^[9]

Academic

Deschamps has taken on several academic posts:

• Associate Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke in 2006^[10]
• Faculty Researcher at the McGill University Faculty of Law in 2012^[11]

NSIRA

In September 2019, Deschamps was made a member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.^[12][13]

Honours

In 2013, she was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada "for her numerous contributions as a jurist and for her dedication to youth development".^[14]

Personal

At the time of her appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada, Deschamps was noted as also being a marathon runner. Her common law spouse, Paul Gobeil, was a former member of the Quebec National Assembly, who had served in the cabinet of Premier Robert Bourassa.^[6]

See also

• Reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada by Justice Deschamps

References

1. Supreme Court of Canada biography
2. "Supreme Court loses third veteran judge in a year with Justice Marie Deschamps' departure". The Toronto Star. May 18, 2012.
3. "The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C." pmo.gc.ca. Office of the Prime Minister. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
4. "The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C." Prime Minister of Canada. 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
5. "The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C." Prime Minister of Canada. 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
6. Cristin Schmitz, "Deschamps plans to chart her own course". Ottawa Citizen, September 9, 2002: A3.
7. "Quebec judge Richard Wagner nominated to Supreme Court". CBC News. October 2, 2012.
8. "Retired high court judge to review military sex harassment policies, procedures".
9. "External Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces". 30 April 2015.
10. "L'honorable Marie Deschamps" (in French). Université de Sherbrooke.
11. "La Faculté accueille l'honorable Marie Deschamps" (in French). McGill University Faculty of Law. April 2010.
12. "The Prime Minister announces member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency". pm.gc.ca (Press release). PMO. September 9, 2019.
13. "Former justice Marie Deschamps named to panel overseeing spy agencies". National Post. September 9, 2019.
14. "Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". December 30, 2013.