Ethics probe launched into Quebec justice minister's appointing of friend to bench

Quebec's ethics and professional conduct commissioner has launched an investigation into the province's justice minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, concerning a possible conflict of interest inhis appointment of a judge to the Quebec court.

The Liberal Party's Monsef Derraji requested the investigation under Section 91of the code of ethics and professional conduct for members of the National Assembly.

Derraji's complaints allege that "the ties of friendship between the Minister of Justice and Judge Charles-Olivier Gosselin are proven and known," according to a news release issued Monday afternoon by the Commissaire l'thique et la dontologie.

His complaint "raises questions of an ethical nature as to the role of the minister in the final phase of the appointment process," the release says among them, whether Gosselin's appointment to the bench was influenced by hisfriendship with the minister "to the detriment of other candidates."

Jolin-Barrette was informed of the investigation in writing, the news releasestates.

The commissioner says no comments will be made during the investigation, and a report will be released once the investigation is complete, setting out the reasons in support of the commissioner's conclusions.

The report, along with recommendations, will be sent to the chair of the National Assembly, who will table it in session.

Minister to co-operate fully

lisabeth Gosselin, Jolin-Barrette's spokesperson, said the judicial appointment process, which is "strictly governed by the Courts of Justice Act and by the regulation respecting the procedure for selecting candidates for the office of judge, was followed and respected in every respect."

She said the ethics commissioner can count on the minister's full co-operation.

When he came under fire last week for the appointment, Jolin-Barrette said his friendship with Gosselin was no secret and insistedthat it did not influence the nomination process.

He said Gosselin was the best candidate andwas selected based on his competence after an independent committee recommended him and two other people.

However, Jolin-Barrette did not warn Premier Franois Legaultnor hiscabinet colleagues that he was about to appoint a close friend.

Gosselin was the lawyer who defended the Quebec City mosque shooter, Alexandre Bissonnette, winning hischallenge ofthe constitutionality of consecutive sentences before the Supreme Court of Canada.

In thathistoric decision, which will affect sentences for the most serious crimes across the country, the Supreme Court ruled that the gunman who killed six people will not have to waitmore than 25 years before being eligible for parole.