After a months-long search, the federal government has found a judge to lead a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections and society.
Marie-Josée Hogue, a puisne judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, has been tapped to lead the inquiry, a government source told Global News Thursday. Two government sources also confirmed the news to The Canadian Press.
Hogue was appointed as puisne judge in the Quebec appeals court on June 19, 2015, according to the court’s website. Hogue had been a partner with the firm McCarthy Tétrault since January 2014.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters while in Indonesia that Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is also the minister for democratic institutions, is set to announce the public inquiry Thursday.
Hogue was previously a partner with Heenan Blaikie LLP, and a law clerk to Antonio Lamer of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1988 to 1989. Hogue’s main areas of practice were corporate commercial litigation, civil litigation and professional liability.
She also practised administrative law and constitutional law, according to the court.
Hogue’s appointment comes after a months-long search for a judge to head an inquiry after former governor general David Johnston, the special rapporteur looking into allegations of foreign interference, resigned from the role in June amid accusations of bias.
LeBlanc, who has been meeting with opposition parties since Johnston’s resignation, said last month the government was in the “final stages” of setting up an inquiry.
LeBlanc said the complex questions about the structure and management of such a probe are for practical purposes already agreed on. He added it was taking time because there are specific protocols that must be followed when dealing with judges currently on the bench.
He would not confirm or deny reports that the government hasn’t been able to find anyone willing to take on the role following the debacle that faced Johnston, who had said his role became mired in partisan fighting.
Opposition parties have been demanding a public inquiry for months and the Liberals initially balked at the idea, instead tapping Johnston to lead a probe into the matter.
They asked him to advise before the end of May whether an inquiry was warranted. He concluded that because so many of the matters were cloaked in secrecy due to national security implications, a public inquiry would be less useful.
The Conservatives were outraged and accused Johnston of bias because of past ties to the family of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, created in honour of his father.
Johnston denied any partisan bias and the Liberals pointed out repeatedly that he was appointed governor general on the advice of then-Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, but he decided to step down from the role.
More to come.
— with files from Global News’ Touria Izri and The Canadian Press.
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