At the 2025 Montréal Rentrée judiciaire*, the Barreau de Montréal** celebrated the 50th anniversary of two of our esteemed senior counsels being called to the Bar: L. Michel Huart and the Honourable François Rolland, O.C., Ad. E.
A prominent figure in the railway industry, L. Michel Huart began his career as a solicitor at the Canada Labour Relations Board and the Canadian Transport Commission. In 1978, he joined VIA Rail, where he held several key positions over the years, including General Superintendent, Transportation, for Québec and Director, Internal Audit and Special Examination. He was recruited by CN in 1989 as Legal Advisor and was later appointed General Counsel. As part of the review of the Railway Safety Act, he represented CN before the Parliament of Canada’s Standing Committee on Transport. He also taught at Polytechnique Montréal in the 1990s.
The Honourable François Rolland, O.C., Ad. E., mediator and arbitrator, served on the Superior Court of Québec from 1996 to 2015, including eleven years as Chief Justice. During his tenure, he presided over cases spanning all areas of the law. He also presided over many settlement conferences in civil, family, and commercial matters, as well as facilitation conferences in criminal matters. He was central to the implementation of the Settlement Conferences Division, the Class Actions Division and the development of the Commercial Division. After leaving the bench, he served for two years as Director of the Québec government’s Voluntary Reimbursement Program. He remains actively committed to improving access to justice, notably as a founding member of the Québec Institute for Law and Justice Reform since 2018, and as Chair of Éducaloi’s Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was named Advocatus Emeritus in 2018 and named Officer of the Order of Canada in 2020.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our esteemed colleagues on their remarkable achievements, which stand as a testament to their unwavering dedication and invaluable contributions to the legal community.
* Ceremonial opening of the judicial year
** The Bar Association of Montréal
Information:
Mélissa Rina Shriqui
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