Hon. François Xavier Choquet, judge of the juvenile court, Montreal, since January 2, 1912, is uniformly recognized as an eminent legist and jurist, as well as an able member of the judiciary. He occupied for many years a position of distinction at the Montreal bar, where his name figured in connection with the court records of some of the most prominent cases heard in the province.
Judge Choquet was born on the 8th of January, 1851, at Varennes, in the province of Quebec. His father, Jean Baptiste Choquet, was a farmer at Varennes and descended from one of the oldest French families in the province, while the mother of Judge Choquet, Adeline Provost, a daughter of Amable Provost, also belonged to an old and honorable family.
The Choquet family has been identified with the history of the province since 1665, the founders, who originally belonged to Picardie, France, settling in Canada in that year.
Judge Choquet added to the fundamental principles of education the knowledge acquired in attendance at L’Assomption College, the Montreal Seminary and McGill University, being graduated from the last named in 1874 with the B. C. L. degree, having determined to make the practice of law his life work. In the meantime he had studied law under Sir La Jette and Senator Beique, in the firm of Jette & Beique, and after being called to the bar on the 10th of January, 1875, he began the practice of his profession in Montreal as a partner of his former law preceptors, being admitted to the firm of Jette & Beique, where he remained about four years. Subsequently he practiced alone for six years, during which time he acquired a clientele that was not surpassed by any of his contemporaries. He afterwards became partner in the firm of Mercier, Beausoleil & Choquet, so continuing from 1884 until 1892, when the senior partner, the late Hon. Honore Mercier, withdrew, and the firm style of Beausoleil & Choquet was adopted. Judge Choquet was created a king’s counsellor by the Earl of Aberdeen on March 7, 1893.
Many important duties have devolved upon him, either in the direct or indirect path of his profession. He was a royal commissioner to revise the charter of Montreal in September, 1897, and was appointed judge of the session of the peace, police magistrate, and license commissioner of Montreal on the 27th of December, 1898. He was also appointed an extradition commissioner under the extradition act, July 20, 1901. In more strictly professional lines his service as a member of the council of the Montreal bar continued from 1894 until 1897, and he was appointed a delegate to the general council of the bar of the province of Quebec.
HON. FRANCOIS X. CHOQUET
He has been a continuous student of his profession, constantly broadening his knowledge by reading, study, research and investigation until today his opinions are largely accepted as authority concerning any vital legal problems.
In the course of his professional career, Judge Choquet successfully handled many important railway and municipal cases. He made a special study of the law relating to transportation matters and also the laws governing municipal affairs, while on the law of elections, the Montreal Herald has referred to him as “the highest authority of the province.”
In June, 1884, Judge Choquet was married to Miss Marie Caroline Barry, a daughter of John E. Barry, of Saguenay and Trois Pistoles. Both Judge and Mrs. Choquet are prominently connected with the Montreal Children’s Aid Society, of which he was president for some time, while Mrs. Choquet has been vice president. He is also president of the Cooperative Funeral Expense Society. Their religious faith is that of the Roman Catholic church, and Mrs. Choquet was granted an audience by the pope in 1906. Judge Choquet is vice president of the Shawinigan Fishing Club, holds membership also with the Engineers and Winchester Clubs, and has been president of the latter for ten years. He resides at No. 814 Dorchester Street, West, Montreal, through the winter seasons and has a summer home at Rigaud, P. Q.