Jacques Viau (1919 – December 4, 2003) was a Canadian lawyer practising in Montreal, Quebec. He served as bâtonnier of the Barreau du Québec and the Bar of Montreal. He also served as president of the Canadian Bar Association from 1977 to 1978. During his term in office, he chaired a committee which produced a major set of recommendations for reform of the Constitution of Canada.
Early life and family
Viau was born in 1919 in Lachine. He married Laurette Cadieux Viau. The couple had two children, Hélène and Jacques.
Legal career
Viau earned his degree in Quebec civil law, a Licentiate of Laws, from the University of Ottawa. He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec in 1942. He practised in Montreal, particularly in the area of municipal law. From 1947 to 1952, he was a municipal court judge in Lachine and Dorval. The government of Quebec appointed him Queen's Counsel ("conseillier de la reine" in French) in 1951.
Viau earned a reputation as an expert in municipal law. He was one of the first lawyers in Quebec to take an interest in municipal law in a systemic fashion. He was credited with being one of the originators of Quebec municipal law as a recognised discipline as it is now known.
Bâtonnier du Québec and bâtonnier of Montreal
In 1973-74, Viau served simultaneously as the Bâtonnier of the Barreau du Québec (the provincial bar association), and as Bâtonnier of the Bar of Montreal. He was the last person to hold both offices at the same time. He was bâtonnier at a time of considerable change in the legal profession in Quebec.
One major change was the new Professional Code introduced by the government of Quebec in 1973, which substantially re-organised the system of professional regulation in Quebec. As a result, the position of bâtonnier would henceforth be elected by universal suffrage of the lawyers of Quebec.
Viau was also heavily involved in the development of the Société québécoise d'information juridique ("SOQUIJ"), a new public organisation for the comprehensive publication of Quebec laws and court decisions, which was brought into operation in 1975. He had a strong interest in having a systemic approach to the publication of judicial decisions, which became one of the goals of SOQUIJ.
During his time in office, Viau was also involved in the implementation of the new legal aid system, instituted by the government of Quebec in 1972, in response to new federal funding for legal aid programs across Canada.
Another of the major events of his time as bâtonnier was the reform of the examination system for the admission of new lawyers. When he took office, the examinations essentially required students to memorise large portions of the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure and then regurgitate their memory work over a series of exams during a two-day period. The students protested that this was not a truly effective examination system for a professional discipline. Viau received their complaints and delegated the matter to his colleague on the executive committee, Michel Robert (subsequently bâtonnier and later Chief Justice of Quebec). Robert negotiated a new system of examinations which is still used today. He credited Viau with having the ability to delegate complex issues to others, and to accept the results with a generosity of spirit.