Remembering the Honourable Eva Petras
We are saddened to announce the passing of the Honourable Eva Petras, Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec (BCL’80, LLB’80), on 9 March 2022 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montréal.
A 1980 graduate of the Faculty of Law, Eva Petras first practiced civil and commercial law, before setting up her own practice and becoming a sought-after family law specialist. She was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec in 2006 and named Associate Chief Justice in 2015. In addition to this role, she was active at the Canadian Judicial Council, where she stressed the importance of understanding the diversity of people coming into the courtroom and treating them with compassion and respect. She was also a course lecturer in family law at McGill.
“This endowment is being made in celebration and gratitude for your accomplishments and contributions to the practice of family law and the administration of justice in the province of Quebec. We want to commemorate your devotion to the law and your determination that we apply the law under your guidance with the goal of protecting and respecting all members of every family experiencing separation and conflict. You brought the law to life, for us, for our clients, for the children of our clients. We plan that the income from this endowment will be used each year by the McGill Faculty of Law to provide funding to a promising student who undertakes an internship to promote the values of our family law
Eva, you are and have always been a pillar of justice for all of us, who have depended on you to shepherd our "worst" (and "best"!) cases through the tangles of the judicial system. You have always expected the best of us, and you always gave the best of yourself to us. We have striven, and we promise to keep striving, to give the best of us to the families in strife whose members we defend. This is our promise to you.
Eva, you are irreplaceable. We send our love and respect to you, unreservedly.
- Your friendsÌý
The Honourable Associate Chief Justice, Eva Petras, BCL'80, LLB'80 endowment fund will be created in celebration and gratitude for her accomplishments and contributions to the practice of family law and the administration of justice in the province of Quebec. It will be used by the McGill Faculty of Law to provide funding to a promising student who undertakes an internship to promote the values of family law. This initiative will allow students to gain invaluable practical, hands-on experience during their studies, to learn the challenges Quebec families face, allowing them to develop and deepen their interest in family law. For many students, such experiences are the most formative and memorable part of their legal education.
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