Bellemare's claims supported at judges probe

A witness at Quebec's Bastarache commission, looking into how judges are nominated, has corroborated explosive testimony from the province's former justice minister, who alleges Liberal Party members tried to influence his judicial appointments.

Georges Lalande, who once served as associate deputy minister with Quebec's justice ministry, testified that he witnessed Liberal Party fundraisers pressuring ex-justice minister Marc Bellemare to name certain people to the bench.

Lalande testified Monday that Liberal fundraiser Franco Fava routinely booked meetings with Bellemare when the latter served as justice minister under Premier Jean Charest in 2003 and 2004.

The former bureaucrat told commission head Michel Bastarache that Fava once said he'd help build support for Bellemare's controversial justice reform legislation (Bill 25) if the minister agreed to name Line Gosselin-Després, a cousin of a Liberal cabinet minister, to the bench.

Lalande testified it was clear Bellemare was under intense pressure and wanted his reform legislation to pass at the national assembly.

Bellemare alleges that he was also pressured to appoint two other people to the judiciary: Michel Simard and Marc Bisson.

Lalande is the first commission witness to support Bellemare's accusations.

Bellemare has previously testified that Charest urged him to listen to Fava's advice on judge appointments.

Judge commission expected to dominate assembly work 

The Bastarache commission will dominate politics at the provincial legislature as elected members returned to Quebec City for the fall session.

Opposition parties have tried to discredit the commission all summer, suggesting its mandate is too narrow.

Liberal house leader Jean-Marc Fournier – who is also justice minister – said he hopes the Parti Québécois and Action Démocratique du Québec will maintain a civil tone during question period.