University of Ottawa professor named to Federal Court post
Sébastien Grammond noted for extensive work in Aboriginal law and child welfare
A University of Ottawa law professor has been appointed to the Federal Court, the minister of justice announced Thursday.
Sébastien Grammond, a professor in the civil law section of the university’s law school and former dean, replaces Justice S.B. Noël, who retired Sept. 1.
Jody Wilson-Raybould said that Grammond has led “notable” reforms of child welfare law as well as to services in First Nations communities, customary adoption and the rights of sexual assault victims.
He’s written or co-written halfa-dozen books about Aboriginal law, constitutional law and contracts, as well as conducting research on legal recognition of Indigenous identity, Indigenous legal system, and contractual justice, according to the department of justice.
Grammond’s pro bono advocacy led to a “historic” human rights judgment on discriminatory underfunding of child welfare services in First Nations communities, the department said.
Grammond began his career as a law clerk to former Chief Justice Antonio Lamer of the Supreme Court of Canada. He practised law for several years in Montreal before leaving full-time practice aside in 2001, to obtain obtained a master’s degree in legal research (2002) and a doctorate in law (2004) from the University of Oxford.
The Federal Court was created in 2003 to hear disputes arising under the federal government’s legislative jurisdiction.