Jérôme Choquette
Encyclopedia
Jérôme Choquette is a lawyer and politician in Quebec
, Canada
.
, Quebec, and studied at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Academy and Collège Stanislas
in Montreal, a Roman Catholic private school
and the most elite institution of its kind in Quebec. He graduated from McGill University
with a law degree in 1949, and was called to the Bar of Quebec
in the same year. In 1951, he obtained a doctorate in economics from the Paris Law School in Paris
, France
. He also studied at the School of Business Administration at Columbia University
in New York City
.
He practised law in Montreal beginning in 1951 and was given the honorary title of Queen's Counsel in 1963.
, he was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec
from the riding
of Outremont
in Montreal as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. He was re-elected in the 1970
and 1973 elections
.
, he served as Minister of Financial Institutions from May to October 1970, Minister of Justice
from May 1970 to July 1975, and Minister of Education from July to September 1975, when he resigned from the Liberal Party.
He was the Quebec Minister of Justice during the October Crisis
and one of the targets of the Front de libération du Québec
(FLQ) terrorists
who kidnapped and executed his fellow cabinet member and Vice-Premier, Pierre Laporte
. Seen as a decisive and strong Cabinet Minister, Jérôme Choquette took the position during the Crisis that the government of Quebec could not give in to the FLQ demands without comprising its responsibility as the democratically elected Government. Following the resolution of the Crisis and expiration of the War Measures Act
, Choquette brought in the services of the Quebec Ombudsman
and provided the vehicle by which anyone unjustly treated had their case reviewed and given proper compensation.
A strong supporter of human rights, Choquette was the Cabinet Minister who helped create the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
and introduced it into the National Assembly in 1975. This is in contrast to his stance during the October Crisis, when he supported the suspension of civil rights under the War Measures Act.
that he take over the leadership of the Union Nationale party.
On December 14, 1975, he founded the Parti National Populaire
with Fabien Roy
, a member of the National Assembly who had been expelled from the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
. Choquette was confirmed as leader of the party at a party congress on October 24, 1976. He was defeated in Outremont in the November 1976 Quebec election
.
Choquette resigned from the PNP on March 29, 1977, and re-joined the Liberal Party on January 16, 1978.
, a municipal political party in Montreal, but later withdrew from the race, and founded the Parti des Montréalais (Montrealers’ Party). As leader of that party, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Montreal in 1994.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Background
Choquette was born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec, and studied at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Academy and Collège Stanislas
Collège Stanislas (Quebec)
Collège Stanislas in Sainte-Foy and Outremont, Quebec is an exclusive French language private education institution for boys and girls aged 4 to 18 years.-History:...
in Montreal, a Roman Catholic private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
and the most elite institution of its kind in Quebec. He graduated from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
with a law degree in 1949, and was called to the Bar of Quebec
Barreau du Quebec
The Bar of Quebec is the provincial law society for lawyers in Quebec, Canada...
in the same year. In 1951, he obtained a doctorate in economics from the Paris Law School in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He also studied at the School of Business Administration at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
He practised law in Montreal beginning in 1951 and was given the honorary title of Queen's Counsel in 1963.
Member of the legislature
In the 1966 provincial electionQuebec general election, 1966
The Quebec general election of 1966 was held on June 5, 1966, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale , led by Daniel Johnson, Sr, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage....
, he was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
from the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Outremont
Outremont (provincial electoral district)
Outremont is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in central Montreal, the riding was created in 1965. Previously, it was part of the riding of Montreal-Outremont that existed from 1939 to 1965...
in Montreal as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. He was re-elected in the 1970
Quebec general election, 1970
The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968...
and 1973 elections
Quebec general election, 1973
The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
.
Cabinet Member
In the Liberal government of Robert BourassaRobert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
, he served as Minister of Financial Institutions from May to October 1970, Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (Quebec)
The Minister of Justice is responsible for the administration of courts and prosecutors in Quebec, Canada. The Minister is automatically the Attorney General, and Registrar of Quebec....
from May 1970 to July 1975, and Minister of Education from July to September 1975, when he resigned from the Liberal Party.
He was the Quebec Minister of Justice during the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
and one of the targets of the Front de libération du Québec
Front de libération du Québec
The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
(FLQ) terrorists
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
who kidnapped and executed his fellow cabinet member and Vice-Premier, Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte was a Canadian lawyer, journalist and politician who was the Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour of the province of Quebec before being kidnapped and killed by members of the group Front de libération du Québec during the October Crisis. Mr...
. Seen as a decisive and strong Cabinet Minister, Jérôme Choquette took the position during the Crisis that the government of Quebec could not give in to the FLQ demands without comprising its responsibility as the democratically elected Government. Following the resolution of the Crisis and expiration of the War Measures Act
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act was a Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emergency powers in the event of "war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended"...
, Choquette brought in the services of the Quebec Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
and provided the vehicle by which anyone unjustly treated had their case reviewed and given proper compensation.
A strong supporter of human rights, Choquette was the Cabinet Minister who helped create the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
The Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms is a statutory bill of rights and human rights code passed by the National Assembly of Quebec on June 27, 1975...
and introduced it into the National Assembly in 1975. This is in contrast to his stance during the October Crisis, when he supported the suspension of civil rights under the War Measures Act.
Parti National Populaire
In September 1975, Choquette resigned as Minister of Education over differences in language policy. Choquette wanted stricter enforcement of the requirement that children whose parents were not educated in English be educated in French. He repeatedly refused the entreaties of Maurice BellemareMaurice Bellemare
Maurice Bellemare, OC was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was known as Le Vieux Lion de la Politique Québécoise because of his colourful style and his many years of public office...
that he take over the leadership of the Union Nationale party.
On December 14, 1975, he founded the Parti National Populaire
Parti national populaire
The Parti national populaire or PNP was a minor political party in Quebec, Canada that operated in the 1970s....
with Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy was a politician in Quebec, Canada, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec and the Canadian House of Commons, and advocated social credit theories of monetary reform.-Background:...
, a member of the National Assembly who had been expelled from the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
Ralliement créditiste du Québec
The Ralliement créditiste du Québec was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada that operated from 1970 to 1978. It promoted social credit theories of monetary reform, and acted as an outlet for the expression of rural...
. Choquette was confirmed as leader of the party at a party congress on October 24, 1976. He was defeated in Outremont in the November 1976 Quebec election
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
.
Choquette resigned from the PNP on March 29, 1977, and re-joined the Liberal Party on January 16, 1978.
Mayor of Outremont
He re-started his law career in 1976, and served as mayor of the Montreal suburb of Outremont from 1983 to 1991.Mayoral candidate in Montreal
In 1993, he began a campaign for the leadership of the Civic Party of MontrealCivic Party of Montreal
The Civic Party of Montreal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1960 to 1994. Throughout its history the Civic Party was dominated by the personality of its leader Jean Drapeau.-Origins:...
, a municipal political party in Montreal, but later withdrew from the race, and founded the Parti des Montréalais (Montrealers’ Party). As leader of that party, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Montreal in 1994.
Retirement from politics
Presently Choquette runs a private law practice, representing various claimants in a wide range of cases from his office on Avenue du Parc, downtown Montreal.See also
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- List of Quebec general elections
- List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
- National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of QuebecThe National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
- List of Quebec political parties
External links
- Jérôme CHOQUETTE at Assemblée nationale du Québec