Pierre Blais

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Pierre Blais

Chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee
In office
May 1, 2015 – July 19, 2019
Appointed byStephen Harper
Preceded byDeborah Grey (acting)
Succeeded byMarie Deschamps (as Chair of the NSIRA)
2nd Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal
In office
September 22, 2009 – June 23, 2014
Nominated byStephen Harper
Appointed byMichaëlle Jean (as Governor General)
Preceded byJohn D. Richard
Succeeded byKaren Sharlow
President of the Privy Council
In office
June 25, 1993 – November 3, 1993
Prime MinisterKim Campbell
Preceded byJoe Clark
Succeeded byMarcel Massé
Minister of Justice
In office
January 4, 1993 – November 3, 1993
Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney
Kim Campbell
Preceded byKim Campbell
Succeeded byAllan Rock
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
In office
February 23, 1990 – January 3, 1993
Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney
Preceded byBernard Valcourt (1989)
Succeeded byPierre H. Vincent
Solicitor General of Canada
In office
January 30, 1989 – February 22, 1990
Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney
Preceded byJames Kelleher (1988)
Succeeded byPierre Cadieux
Member of Parliament
for Bellechasse
In office
September 4, 1984 – October 25, 1993
Preceded byAlain Garant
Succeeded byFrançois Langlois
Personal details
BornDecember 30, 1948
Berthier-sur-Mer, Quebec
Alma materLaval University

Pierre Blais, PC (born December 30, 1948) is a Canadian jurist and former politician and Cabinet minister.[1] He also served as the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal until his retirement in June, 2014.[2]

On May 1, 2015, Blais was appointed as chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, replacing Interim Chair Deborah Grey who was stepping down from the Committee.[3] The SIRC was dissolved on July 19, 2019, with the creation of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. Blais served as a member of the NSIRA until his term expired on May 1, 2020.

Education[]

Blais holds both a BA (1968) and an LLB (1976) from Laval University.[1]

Political career[]

Blais entered the House of Commons of Canada as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Bellechasse, Quebec through the 1984 election.

In 1987, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed Blais to Cabinet as Minister of State for agriculture.[2] Two years later, he was promoted to the position of Solicitor-General.[2] In 1990, he became Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and, in 1993, was appointed by Mulroney to the position of Minister of Justice.[2]

Blais retained this position, and added the position of President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada when Kim Campbell succeeded Mulroney as PC leader and prime minister.[2]

Blais's political career came to an end when he was defeated, along with the Campbell government, in the 1993 election.

Judicial career[]

A member of both the Quebec and Ontario bar, Blais was appointed a Justice of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, an ex officio member of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada in June 1998.

Through 2004, Blais presided over hearings related to Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel's detention under a National Security Certificate. In February 2005, he ruled that the security certificate was valid and that the government could deport Zundel immediately.

On February 20, 2008, Blais was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal. On September 9, 2009, he was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court of Appeal.[4]

Blais retired as Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal effective June 23, 2014.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Members". Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "About the Court: Pierre Blais". Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  3. ^ "PM announces appointments to the Security Intelligence Review Committee". Prime Minister's Office. May 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2011-08-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Orders in Council - Search".

External links[]

Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
Alain Garant
Member of Parliament for Bellechasse
1984–1993
Succeeded by
François Langlois
Political offices
Preceded by
Perrin Beatty
Solicitor General of Canada
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Pierre Cadieux
Preceded by
Harvie Andre
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
1990–1993
Succeeded by
Pierre H. Vincent
Preceded by
Kim Campbell
Minister of Justice
1993
Succeeded by
Allan Rock
Preceded by
Joe Clark
President of the Privy Council
1993
Succeeded by
Marcel Massé
Retrieved from ""