Paul-André Crépeau

Paul-André Crépeau

Paul-André Crépeau, jurist (born at Gravelbourg, Sask 20 May 1926, died at Montréal 6 Jul 2011). Paul-André Crépeau made a substantial mark on judicial life in Québec, especially through his capacity as President of the Revision Office for Québec's CODE CIVIL. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and licentiate degrees in philosophy at the University of Ottawa, then earned a law degree at the University of Montréal. He completed his graduate studies at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar (1952) and received a Doctor of Law from the University of Paris in 1955.

In 1965, the Québec government appointed Crépeau as the president of the Civil Code Revision Office and assigned him the significant task of reforming the provincial Civil Code. From 1965 to 1977 Crépeau worked to revise and modernize the new Québec Civil Code which came into effect in 1994. Crépeau also served as the president of the International Academy of Comparative Law, as a member of the Canadian delegation to the Hague Conference, and as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. In 1975 he founded the Quebec Research Centre of Private and Comparative Law and was its director until 1996.

A professor at McGill University's Faculty of Law for more than 50 years, he was the Wainwright Professor of Civil law and Director of the Centre de recherche du Québec in private sector and comparative law. During his career he wrote more than over 130 academic books and articles including La responsabilité civile du médecin et de l'établissement hospitalier (1995), le Rapport sur le Code civil (1978), Les Codes civils/The Civil Codes - Édition critique annuelle, théorie générale de l'obligation juridique (1987) and he headed the editorial committee of the Dictionnaire de droit privé (1985).

Several universities honoured Paul-André Crépeau: he was named Professor Emeritus at McGill, he received an honorary doctorate from Université Laval (Québec), and he was awarded numerous scholarships including a Rhodes Scholarship and a Killam Scholarship. He was honoured in France with the Legion of Honour, Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite, and Officier des Palmes académiques. Crépeau received Honourary Doctorates from eight universities including Dalhousie University (1989), t the Sorbonne (2001), and the University of Saskatchewan (2008). In 2008 the Government of Quebec awarded Dr. Crépeau with the Georges-Émile Lapalme prize to recognize his contribution to the French language through Canadian law.

Paul-André Crépeau was named a member of the ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA (1980), the ORDER OF CANADA (Officer in 1981, promoted to Companion in 1992), and Officer of l'ORDRE NATIONAL DU QUÉBEC (2000). The CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION established the Paul-André Crépeau Medal in 2001 that is awarded for contributions to the advancement of international aspects of private and commercial law in Canada.

In 2012 the Quebec Research Centre of Private and Comparative Law Centre was renamed the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law.