Linda Maj also appointed as justice of Alberta Court of King’s Bench
The federal government has announced the following judicial appointments: Geneviève Cotnam as Quebec’s new chief justice, Gabriel Gaudreault as a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, and Linda A. Maj as a justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who announced Cotnam’s appointment, stated that she has replaced Manon Savard, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of Aug. 10.
Sean Fraser, Canada’s justice minister and attorney general, announced Gaudreault’s and Maj’s appointments. He wished them success in their new roles and expressed confidence that they would serve well as new additions to their respective courts.
Gaudreault will sit in the districts of Abitibi, Rouyn-Noranda, and Témiscamingue. He has taken the place of Justice Robert Dufresne in Rouyn-Noranda, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of Feb. 3.
Maj’s assignment is in Edmonton. She has replaced Justice Peter B. Michalyshyn in Edmonton, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of Mar. 3.
News releases from the prime minister and the federal justice department shared more information regarding Cotnam, Gaudreault, and Maj.
Geneviève Cotnam
Cotnam most recently served as a puisne judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, which she joined in 2018. She accepted an appointment to the Court of Quebec’s Civil Division in 2016.
Her experience has spanned civil law, professional liability, and insurance law. Before sitting on the bench, she worked at Flynn Rivard from 1990–2003, at Desjardins Ducharme Stein Monast from 2003–07, and at Stein Monast from 2007–16.
In 2012, the Quebec bar distinguished Cotnam as an emeritus lawyer. She gained admission to the provincial bar in 1990.
She received her master’s degree in criminal law from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School recently and her LLB from Université Laval in 1989.
Gabriel Gaudreault
Most recently a judge of the Court of Quebec, Gaudreault joined the court in 2023 and sat primarily on the Youth and Civil Divisions and alternatively on the Criminal Division.
He served as a full-time member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. In this role, he dealt with discrimination claims at the federal level.
In 2014, the director of youth protection (DYP) of the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay tasked Gaudreault with launching a litigation service to act on the board’s behalf before judicial and political authorities. In 2016, he began leading that service.
At a private practice in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, he acted for DYPs from Hudson’s Bay, Ungava, and James Bay, and practised before the itinerant court for around five years. Before that, he articled for the DYP in Montérégie.
Gaudreault earned admission to the Quebec bar in 2012.
His educational qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in common law and transnational law from the Université de Sherbrooke, as well as a master 2 in public law and human rights from the Université Lumière Lyon 2.
Linda Maj
Maj most recently served as general counsel of the federal justice department in Edmonton, which she joined in 2003. Her experience has encompassed administrative law, criminal law, and civil litigation before all court levels.
Her wide client base has included different levels of government. Alongside numerous Indigenous groups, she has worked to advance reconciliation. She received the designation of King’s Counsel in 2022.
Before entering public service, Maj worked as a private practitioner for a decade.
Beyond her legal career, she has sat on law society committees, helped with the bar admissions course, acted as a faculty member for the intensive advocacy course, and served as a guest lecturer and moot court judge at the University of Alberta’s law school.
Maj gained admission to the Alberta bar in 1994 and certification as a mediator through the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society. She is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan’s law school.
More judicial appointments in Quebec and beyond
Here are some other recent news stories revolving around announcements of judicial appointments in Quebec and other provinces.
On Apr. 10, Fraser shared that Mireille Pélissier-Simard, counsel at Verdon Armanda Gauthier avocats, had joined the Quebec Superior Court as a judge.
On Mar. 27, Fraser announced the judicial appointments of Delaram Jahani, Jacqueline McQueen, Michael Klein, Brook Greenberg, Andres Garin, Stéphane Richer, and Amiram Kotler across BC, Quebec, and Manitoba.
On Dec. 16, 2025, Fraser announced the judicial appointments of Alexandre Boucher, Stéphane Poulin, Karine Joizil, Maude Grenier, Marianna Ferraro, Peter J. Osborne, Catherine V. Weiler, Bryna D. Hatt, and Michelle M. Kelly in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
On Dec. 5, 2025, Fraser announced the judicial appointments of Mario J. Lanteigne to the trial division of the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench in Bathurst and David Héroux to the Quebec Superior Court in Baie-Comeau.
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