Two Quebec Judges Face Drug Buying Allegations

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The commencement of Operation Crayfish by Quebec provincial police in 2010, resulted in a major blow to the organized crime in the province’s Abitibi region. The police still boasts about their operation resulting in numerous court cases, along with more than 80 arrests, and seizure of large quantities of drugs, $900,000 cash, weapons and a helicopter.

Though now the judicial system has come under scrutiny as The Canadian Judicial Council declaredss on Tuesday that it will be reviewing the conduct of Justice Michel Girouard, of the Quebec Superior Court, and judge Marc Grimard, of Quebec Court, for the alleged purchase of “an illicit substance from a police informant.” Previously, Chief Justice Elizabeth Corte of the Quebec Court mentioned on Monday, that the allegation made against Judge Grimard are of “very serious” nature and he will not be assigned any new cases until the allegations are accounted for.

It was reported by Le Devoir on Dec. 29 that one of the informants, who worked during the Crayfish operation, has recently acknowledged two judges to be confirmed customers of an Abitibi cocaine dealer before their appointment to the bench. The report claims that Judge Grimard was a customer in 2004, while Judge Girouard in 2010. Associate Chief Justice Robert Pidgeon of Quebec Superior Court alleged that court recently learned of the allegations against Judge Girouard, when documents were shared by provincial prosecution office at the end of November. Judge Pidgeon elaborated that since Judge Grimard is not assigned any new cases, he is only performing administrative tasks at the moment.