Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, Micheline Paradis, a lawyer from the Lac-Saint-Jean riding, was appointed to the Quebec Court.
She is the first woman judge in that region's 160-year history. When she began her career some 20 years ago, there were practically no female lawyers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Today, over 50 per cent of the members of the regional bar association are women. This appointment opens another door and represents another step toward equality between men and women, thus enhancing Quebec's judicial system and giving it even greater credibility.
I am happy to congratulate Ms. Paradis on how far she has come and I wish her the best of luck in her new career.