France Charbonneau

France Charbonneau
Name	France Charbonneau
Birth date	1942
Birth place	Montreal, Quebec
Occupation	Judge, Prosecutor
Known for	Charbonneau Commission

France Charbonneau is a Canadian jurist and prosecutor from Montreal who served as a judge of the Court of Quebec and later as Commissioner of the Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry, widely known as the Charbonneau Commission. She is noted for high-profile prosecutions in Quebec, contributions to judicial practice, and public inquiries into corruption involving political figures, corporations, and organized crime.

Early life and education

Born in Montreal in 1942, she pursued legal studies at the Université de Montréal where she obtained a law degree. She was called to the Bar of Quebec and undertook early legal training that connected her to institutions such as the Barreau du Québec and legal clinics affiliated with the Université de Montréal Faculty of Law. Her formative years placed her in contact with prominent Quebec legal environments including the Quebec Superior Court and legal scholars associated with the Civil Code of Québec tradition.

Legal career

She began her career as a Crown prosecutor in Quebec handling cases tied to municipal corruption, organized crime linked to the Rizzuto crime family, and complex fraud matters involving entities like Canada Post contractors and construction firms operating in Montreal and the Montérégie region. Her prosecutorial work involved collaboration with agencies such as the Sûreté du Québec, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and municipal police forces like the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. She prosecuted matters influenced by legislation including the Criminal Code and worked alongside prosecutors from the Department of Justice (Canada) and the Ministère de la Justice du Québec.

Judicial and prosecutorial roles

She served on the bench of the Court of Quebec presiding over criminal and penal matters, applying procedural rules akin to those in the Code of Civil Procedure (Quebec) and interfacing with appellate processes before the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. As a judge and later as a special prosecutor, she dealt with cases related to municipal governance in municipalities such as Longueuil, Laval, and Saint-Léonard, and adjudicated matters with parties including construction companies, unions, and elected officials from the Parti Québécois and the Quebec Liberal Party. Her roles required coordination with oversight bodies like the Quebec Bar Association, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and municipal ethics commissions.

Charbonneau Commission

Appointed commissioner of the public inquiry established by the National Assembly of Quebec in 2011, she led the Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry, commonly called the Charbonneau Commission. The commission conducted televised hearings that examined alleged collusion among construction firms, bidding processes involving entities like Société de transport de Montréal contractors, and ties between organized crime families such as the Rizzuto crime family and political actors from the Quebec Liberal Party and municipal administrations in Montreal. The commission subpoenaed executives from major construction firms, union leaders from organizations linked to the Confédération des syndicats nationaux and the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, and public officials implicated in schemes affecting infrastructure projects including metro construction associated with the Montreal Metro. Its report recommended reforms in public procurement, municipal governance, and anti-corruption mechanisms involving bodies such as the Unité permanente anticorruption.

Notable cases and investigations

Her prosecutorial portfolio included high-profile prosecutions of police officers and public officials from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, investigations connected to the Hells Angels and other motorcycle clubs, and cases implicating executives of construction firms involved in public contracts for projects in Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area. During her tenure she confronted allegations involving organized crime groups like the Rizzuto crime family and legal controversies touching on figures associated with municipal administrations of Longueuil and Laval. The Charbonneau Commission hearings exposed corporate practices at firms that had done work for entities such as the Société des alcools du Québec and municipal procurement offices, leading to referrals and prosecutions overseen by Crown prosecutors and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (Quebec).

Awards and recognitions

She received acknowledgments from legal institutions including commendations from the Barreau du Québec and recognition by academic entities such as the Université de Montréal and the McGill University Faculty of Law for her contributions to public integrity and the administration of justice. Her leadership of the Charbonneau Commission led to citations in municipal reform debates in the National Assembly of Quebec and influenced policy discussions involving the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation and anti-corruption units like the Unité permanente anticorruption.

Category:Canadian judges Category:People from Montreal Category:Canadian prosecutors