He was a partner at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP in Ottawa
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani, announced the appointment of Benoit Duchesne, currently an associate judge of the Federal Court in Ottawa, as a judge of the Federal Court.
Born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa, Justice Duchesne earned a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree with minors in Economics and Music in 1993, followed by a Licentiate in Civil Law in 1996 and a Bachelor of Laws in 2000, all from the University of Ottawa. He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1998 and the Law Society of Ontario in 2001.
Justice Duchesne’s career has spanned both provinces, allowing him to develop a broad bilingual and bijural practice. Before his appointment to the Federal Court, he was a partner at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP in Ottawa, where his practice focused on civil, corporate, commercial, administrative, and municipal litigation. He appeared before various tribunals and courts in Ontario, Quebec, and federally, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Justice Duchesne also taught civil procedure part-time at the University of Ottawa from 2012 to 2022. His contributions to the legal community have been widely recognized. Lexpert ranked him for his expertise in corporate and commercial litigation.
Appointed as associate judge of the Federal Court in 2022, Justice Duchesne handled a wide range of judicial duties, including case management conferences, motions, mediations, and trials across the Federal Court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Duchesne’s appointment follows the elevation of Justice Panagiotis Pamel to the Federal Court of Appeal on September 20. The appointment was made under the judicial application process established in 2016, which focuses on transparency, merit, and diversity within the Canadian judiciary.
“I wish Justice Duchesne every success as he takes on his new role,” said Minister Virani in a statement. “I am confident he will serve Canadians well as a member of the Federal Court.”
