Pierre Blais

The Honourable Pierre Blais PC
Chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee
In office May 1, 2015 – July 19, 2019
Appointed by	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Deborah Grey (acting)
Succeeded by	Marie Deschamps (as Chair of the NSIRA)
2nd Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal
In office September 22, 2009 – June 23, 2014
Nominated by	Stephen Harper
Appointed by	Michaëlle Jean
Preceded by	John D. Richard
Succeeded by	Karen Sharlow
President of the Privy Council
In office June 25, 1993 – November 3, 1993
Prime Minister	Kim Campbell
Preceded by	Joe Clark
Succeeded by	Marcel Massé
Minister of Justice
In office January 4, 1993 – November 3, 1993
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney Kim Campbell
Preceded by	Kim Campbell
Succeeded by	Allan Rock
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
In office February 23, 1990 – January 3, 1993
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Bernard Valcourt (1989)
Succeeded by	Pierre H. Vincent
Solicitor General of Canada
In office January 30, 1989 – February 22, 1990
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	James Kelleher (1988)
Succeeded by	Pierre Cadieux
Member of Parliament for Bellechasse
In office September 4, 1984 – October 25, 1993
Preceded by	Alain Garant
Succeeded by	François Langlois
Personal details
Born	December 30, 1948 Berthier-sur-Mer, Quebec, Canada
Alma mater	Laval University

Pierre Blais PC (born December 30, 1948) is a Canadian jurist and former politician and Cabinet minister. He also served as the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal until his retirement in June 2014.

On May 1, 2015, Blais was appointed as chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, replacing Interim Chair Deborah Grey who was stepping down from the Committee. The SIRC was dissolved on July 19, 2019, with the creation of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. Blais served as a member of the NSIRA until his term expired on May 1, 2020.

Education

Blais holds both a BA (1968) and an LLL (1976) from Laval University.

Political career

Blais entered the House of Commons of Canada as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Bellechasse, Quebec through the 1984 election.

In 1987, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed Blais to Cabinet as Minister of State for agriculture. Two years later, he was promoted to the position of Solicitor-General. In 1990, he became Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and, in 1993, was appointed by Mulroney to the position of Minister of Justice.

Blais retained this position, and added the position of President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada when Kim Campbell succeeded Mulroney as PC leader and prime minister.

Blais's political career came to an end when he was defeated, along with the Campbell government, in the 1993 election.

Judicial career

A member of both the Quebec and Ontario bar, Blais was appointed a Justice of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, an ex officio member of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada in June 1998.

Through 2004, Blais presided over hearings related to Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel's detention under a National Security Certificate. In February 2005, he ruled that the security certificate was valid and that the government could deport Zundel immediately.

On February 20, 2008, Blais was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal. On September 9, 2009, he was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court of Appeal.

Blais retired as Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal effective June 23, 2014.

External links

• Pierre Blais – Parliament of Canada biography