Quebec Court of Appeal Judge Marie-Josée Hogue to lead foreign interference inquiry: sources

Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, from the Quebec Court of Appeal, will today be named to chair a public inquiry into foreign interference by China, government sources have told Radio-Canada.

The Liberal government will reveal the appointment and the mandate of the inquiry at 11:30 a.m., according to sources.

Former governor general David Johnston was previously tasked with looking into allegations that China tried to meddle in the past two federal elections, but he resigned in June, saying his role had become too muddled in political controversy for him to continue.

Before his resignation, Johnston investigated media reports that questioned the government's handling of China's alleged interference activities in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, and ultimately recommended against calling a public inquiry.

All parties agree the 2019 and 2021 federal election results were not compromised. But in the wake of Johnston's probe, opposition MPs argued that a public inquiry into foreign interference is the only way to maintain Canadians' confidence in the electoral system.

House leaders from the main federal parties met over the summer in an attempt to set the terms and timeline for an inquiry, and to appoint a potential leader.

Last month, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said his government was in talks with sitting judges about leading a public inquiry into alleged Chinese election interference. LeBlanc said he had also reached out to Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner on how to move forward.

Hogue received her bachelor of civil laws from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1986 and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec the following year. 

Over the course of her career, Hogue appeared before all levels of the Quebec civil courts, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada and domestic and international tribunals.

She was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Quebec on June 19, 2015.

According to her bio on the appeal court's website, "her main areas of practice were corporate commercial litigation, civil litigation and professional liability. She also practiced in administrative law and constitutional law."