Biography

Marc Bellemare was sworn in as a lawyer in 1979, after completing his law studies at the Université de Montréal in May 1978 and his bar admission in Quebec City in May 1979. Since then, he has practiced in the areas of social security law and accident victim assistance. In the early 1980s, he became the first Quebec lawyer to devote his entire practice exclusively to victims. Within the Quebec Bar, Me Marc Bellemare has played a leading role. He was a member of the Quebec Bar's first committee on automobile insurance in 1996. He set up the Barreau's committee on compensation for victims of crime, and was a member of the occupational health and safety committee for several years. In each case, his involvement was significant. He played an active role in drafting the various briefs the Bar submitted to the government on improving Quebec's social security systems and administrative justice. Over the years, he has been involved in major issues, often covered by the media, such as the accountability of criminal conduct, the harmonization of Quebec's social security systems, the prison and correctional system, the role of the Crown and sentences handed down by criminal courts. His advice is frequently sought by analysts on the legal and political scene when dealing with subjects involving various fields of law. He is a sought-after panelist and lecturer. The legal community has recognized this prolific litigator's significant contribution to the recognition and promotion of the rights of accident victims by obtaining numerous important judgments before the administrative and civil tribunals responsible for reviewing decisions rendered by the CSST, SAAQ, RRQ, IVAC and Social Assistance. He is recognized as a leading authority on CSST, SAAQ, RRQ and IVAC. Marc Bellemare was Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Quebec in 2003-2004. He was also Minister responsible for professional legislation. In 2009, he received the honorary mention Advocatus Emeritus from the Quebec Bar for his significant contribution to the advancement of the profession, the excellence of his professional career and his influence in social and community circles. In April 2010, he publicly supported the idea of a commission of inquiry into corruption and political party financing in Quebec. He denounced the involvement of Quebec Liberal Party fundraisers in the judicial appointment process, and testified before the commission of the same name in August 2010. In February 2012, Me Bellemare presented a brief to the Senate Committee on Justice in support of Bill C-10, which would toughen sentences for sexual predators and drug traffickers. In September 2012, Me Marc Bellemare was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal by the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. The award recognized the special contribution of Canadians on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. In April 2013, he conceived and organized the symposium "Criminal justice: the eye of the victims". This meeting brought together over 120 victims of crimes against the person in Quebec City. Notable speakers included Sylvie Roy, Claude Poirier, Richard Martineau, Christian Paradis, Bertrand St-Arnaud, Michel Surprenant, Jacques Duchesneau and Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu. In December 2013, Me Bellemare collaborated on the drafting of the "Les Survivantes" manifesto, a discussion paper designed to promote the rights of women who have survived the murder of their children by their ex-spouses.
- IMDb mini biography by: bellemareavocats.ca