Manon Savard, who has served as Chief Justice of Quebec and head of the province’s Court of Appeal since 2020, concluded her tenure on Tuesday after six years in the role. Appointed by then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Justice Savard has been a prominent figure in Quebec’s judiciary, overseeing landmark cases including ongoing challenges related to Quebec’s controversial Bill 21.

Before joining the bench, Savard spent more than two decades as a lawyer specializing in labour law at Ogilvy Renault LLP in Montreal. Her career path to law was influenced by a lecture from noted labour lawyer Roy Heenan, which prompted her shift from industrial relations to legal studies at McGill University in the early 1980s. Since her appointment as a judge in 2009, and specifically during her leadership of the Court of Appeal, she has emphasized the importance of judicial transparency and improving public understanding of the courts’ role in society.

As she steps down as chief justice, Savard remains a part-time supernumerary judge on the appeal court and is intensifying her longstanding advocacy for increased provincial funding to modernize Quebec’s court system. She argues that greater investment is necessary to reduce reliance on paper, improve the court’s digital infrastructure, and enhance public communication. Despite progress, she said the court’s website requires further improvement, and there is a need to regularly provide plain-language summaries of judicial decisions, including more English translations, to better engage with the province’s diverse population.

Highlighting the political sensitivity surrounding the courts, Savard noted a “lack of confidence towards institutions” and called on courts to move beyond their traditional reticence, stressing that judges are not policymakers but arbiters of the law. This stance was evident in the court’s handling of Bill 21, the 2019 law prohibiting public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job—a statute seen by supporters as affirming secularism but by critics as discriminatory against minorities.

In a unanimous 300-page ruling issued in February 2024, a panel led by Chief Justice Savard upheld Bill 21, citing the use of the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which allows provincial governments to override certain constitutional protections. The appeal court ruled that when the clause is invoked, courts have no authority to issue declarations invalidating the legislation, underscoring the limited judicial role in such cases. The decision has since been appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which heard arguments earlier this year.

Savard acknowledged the extensive effort required by her court to produce clear, accessible, and carefully translated rulings, noting this work demands adequate funding to continue. Although she will depart from the chief justice role, the office will be filled temporarily by an acting chief justice until a federal appointment is made. The timing of the permanent replacement remains uncertain amid ongoing debates over judicial vacancies at the federal level.

Reflecting on her career, Savard credited her background in labour law with helping her navigate complex disputes and emphasized her commitment to remain active on the bench. At age 65, she dismissed the idea of full retirement, expressing enthusiasm for continuing her judicial work, even during family vacations, underscoring her dedication to the law and the institution she has led.