CHIEF SUPREME COURT JUDGE RICHARD WAGNER AWARDED LEGION HONOR BY PM G. ATTAL

USPA NEWS - Prime Minister Gabriel Attal travelled to Ottawa, Quebec and Montreal from Wednesday April 10 to Friday April 12, 2024, accompanied by ministers, parliamentarians and business leaders. On this occasion, he met with the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, and Prime Minister Francois Legault, with a view to continuing to strengthen Franco-Canadian cooperation on major international crises and in economic, energy, environmental, research and civil security matters in particular. France and Canada, historical partners maintain a solid bilateral relationship and are the only two allied countries members of the G7, the G20, NATO and La Francophonie.

From Canada, reported by our correspondent Rahma Rachdi, on ground on site

DAY 1 : AWARDING SUPREME GREAT JUDGE RICHARD WAGNER THE LEGION DHONNEUR BY P.M GABRIEL ATTAL
It is in the magnificent French Residence of Embassy one of a kind embassy in Ottawa, that Prime Minister Gabriel Attal presented the most prestigious French distinction to Canadian Supreme Justice, Richard Wagner, during an award ceremony for Legion of Honor, this evening April 9, 2024. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal upgraded the most prestigious French distinction to Canadian Supreme Justice, Richard Wagner, during a presentation ceremony. The Legion of Honor, this evening April 9, 2024 decorating the Supreme Grand Justice Richard Wagner, who marked Canadian justice by his own style and seal, throughout a brilliant path of Judge, after being an attorney for years and chairman of the National Canadian Bar. The notorious and deserving Great Supreme Judge seemed very moved and glad to receive the highest medal given by the French Republic, over Gabriel Attal’s hands, under the kind sight of Eric Dupond-Moretti, current minister of Justice of France.

FRENCH EMBASSY IN OTTAWA A HISTORICAL BUILDING WITH UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE
Maximilien, Secretary General of the embassy, gives us a quick tour of the embassy, including the legendary dining room with its gigantic wall paintings, with very unique touches.
Indeed, he explains to us that the premises of the French Embassy are an architectural masterpiece, and a symbol of the privileged relations between France and Canada.
This embassy, located at 42 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, was inaugurated on January 4, 1939 after three years of work, built mainly with materials from Quebec and France (Burgundy and St-Quentin).
Its Art Deco style, from the 1930s, gives it a singular and symbolically strong beauty, because it was built until the eve of the WWII. It receives more than 1,500 visitors each year, as the architecture and decoration of this building is exceptional. Among the most notable works is a replica of the Vimy monument, sculpted by Louis Leygue, which pays tribute to the 60,000 Canadians who died in France during the First World War.

Gabriel Attal, recalled Wagner's actions and commitments “you carry with conviction the CAJ, legal IJ so that each lawyer can work with ease for all lawyers, and you who are starting in a large firm to always rise. While informing the guests present (of note) for those who were unaware, the professional journey in the exceptional career of this Judge of the Supreme Court, formerly a lawyer and defender of the rights of litigants, and of the Bar, i.e. of lawyers also “With a background as a lawyer, then a magistrate sitting in the court of Quebec from 2004 to 2011, then specialized dedicated to criminal law and in an extraordinary way with situations that will take you complex and you help the condition that the Canadian jurisdiction by jury is very fair” explains Prime Minister Attal. He adds “Despite all this, you only stay in a career for a little 8 years and you become supreme judge of Canada by appeal."

Prime Minister Attal, impressed by the notoriety of Judge Wagner, and evokes this glory “You received thousands of letters and postcards from Canadians after your court hearings or appearances on TV.
Prime Minister Attal ends with this profession of faith, before placing the Legion of Honor medal around the neck of Judge Richard Wagner, whose curriculum is exceptional, and justifies this high-ranking decoration.
“Justice must be open and served with accessibility. Doing nothing would represent a considerable risk of losing both democracy and justice. » declares Gabriel Attal, the French PM.
Furthermore, the presence of Eric Dupond Moretti, whose journey is almost similar, due to his personal commitment and his conversion to the side of Justice, goes from criminal lawyer to monster of justice is very remarkable and noted during this description of honor legion.

RICHARD WAGNER A GREAT DEFENDER OF HUMAN RIGHTS FORMER LAWYER BECOME GREAT JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal recounted the brilliant and humanist journey of Richard Wagner “Your story is that of a jurist, you fall into justice, the son of a judge, and you make your choice which will be justice. You did your law in Ottawa then in 1980, returned to the Bar and pleaded before all the courts and you transmitted almost all the pleadings collected from the Quebec bar and you combined the excellence of transmission and the passion for the law in service to defend your profession , this is how you are promoted and recognized in Montreal as President of the Bar.”

“You like jokey judges but also jokers, dear Richard WAGNER, your wife is also a judge here and your lawyer children, your undeniable mastery of legal principles and you have the mark of great humanists and therefore great judges and let's stop Badinter “Don't deny never has anyone the right to become better” this is why the President of the Republic decided by decree of September 24, 2023, to elevate you to the grand grade of the Legion of Honor
This evening the French Republic raises you to the rank of the height of attachment to France and in the name of Franco-Canadian friendship in attachment to independent freedoms and our collective recognition is immense", thus pronounced PM Gabriel Attal before present the medal to Supreme Justice Richard Wagner.

The latter, for his part, expressed his great satisfaction and honor, even privileged to receive this distinction. « I am very grateful for your recitation of my actions Mr PM but this is thanks to the judicial community and several of its members are here this evening. The Legion of Universal Honor, as a jurist, resolves current issues and defense, the French language, one of the most beautiful in the world and my mother tongue and respect for institutions.

Twenty (20) years ago, during the bicentenary of the civil code, I had the privilege of ensuring at the Luxemburg Palace during a brief session, although anecdotal this occasion led me to a solemn appeal for the abolition of the death penalty, launched, already by Voltaire who was hibernated then defended by Robert Badinter and I had the privilege of speaking with him in his residence in 2022, and my friend Laurent Fabius who described him well as a Righteous among the Righteous.“Justice is not just a service but a human good, long live democracy, long live Canada and France,” he concluded.../