David T. Lametti PC KC (born August 10, 1962) is a Canadian politician and lawyer who was the member of Parliament for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun from 2015 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Party, Lametti served as minister of justice and attorney general of Canada from 2019 to 2023.[2]

David Lametti
Lametti in 2017
Minister of Justice
Attorney General of Canada
In office
January 14, 2019 – July 26, 2023
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byJody Wilson-Raybould
Succeeded byArif Virani
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
In office
January 30, 2017 – January 14, 2019
MinisterNavdeep Bains
Preceded byGreg Fergus
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade
In office
December 2, 2015 – January 27, 2017
MinisterChrystia Freeland
François-Philippe Champagne
Preceded byParm Gill
Succeeded byPamela Goldsmith-Jones
Member of Parliament
for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
In office
October 19, 2015 – February 1, 2024
Preceded byHélène LeBlanc
Succeeded byLouis-Philippe Sauvé
Personal details
Born
David T. Lametti

(1962-08-10) August 10, 1962 (age 62)
Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Montreal, Quebec, Canada[1]
Education

Born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Lametti graduated from University of Toronto and studied law at McGill University, Yale University, and Exeter College, Oxford. Prior to entering politics, he was a professor of law at McGill University, a member of the Institute of Comparative Law, and a founding member of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy.[3]

Early life and career

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Lametti was born on August 10, 1962, in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, to Italian immigrants. Lametti earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto in 1985, and his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees at McGill University in 1989. He then served as a clerk to Justice Peter Cory[4] of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1989–90. In 1991, Lametti completed a Master of Laws degree from Yale Law School and in 1999, he completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in law at Exeter College, Oxford,[5][6] with a thesis, The Deon-Telos of Private Property: Ethical Aspects of the Theory and Practice of Private Property.[7]

In 1995, after having been a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of New Brunswick, Lametti accepted a lecturing position at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, where he taught and conducted research.[8] He became an assistant professor in 1998, an associate professor in 2003, and was promoted to full professor with tenure in 2015.[9] He lectured and wrote on subjects related to civil and common law property, intellectual property, property theory and ethics. His work led to the creation of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy, which he co-founded in 2003[10] and for which he served as director from 2009 to 2011. He was Associate Dean (Academic) of the McGill Faculty of Law between 2008 and 2011, was a member of McGill University's Senate from 2012 to 2015, and was formerly a Governor of the Fondation du Barreau du Québec.[11] During his parliamentary and ministerial service, he remains on leave from McGill.

Lametti is the author of academic publications on the subjects of property, intellectual property, and social norms.[12]

Lametti served as co-captain of the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club alongside Mark Carney[13] and was a youth soccer coach in Montreal leagues.[14]

Political career

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David Lametti became interested in politics as a teenager, when he worked as a volunteer for the Liberal Party in the 1979 Canadian federal election, and then subsequent provincial and federal elections for Liberal candidates. Among candidates for whom he volunteered are the former Canadian member of Parliament and Speaker of the House Gilbert Parent. Lametti co-founded the Erie Riding New Liberals, the youth wing of the Liberal Party of Canada in southern Niagara.

On June 16, 2014, Lametti launched his bid to become the Liberal Party candidate in the new riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun. Lametti won the contested nomination race on February 8, 2015,[15] and won the riding's seat in Parliament in the 2015 Canadian federal election.[16] On December 2, 2015, Lametti was named parliamentary secretary to then Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland.[17] On January 26, 2017, Lametti was reshuffled to parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains.[18]

On January 14, 2019, Lametti was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and on April 15 of that year, he was appointed a Queen's Counsel.[19] Lametti was dropped from cabinet in July 2023 as the result of a cabinet shuffle. On January 25, 2024, he announced his resignation from parliament effective February 1, 2024, in order to join law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin where he will specialize in Indigenous law.[20]

Electoral record

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2021 Canadian federal election: LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal David Lametti 20,330 42.93 -0.60 $55,842.59
Bloc Québécois Raphaël Guérard 10,461 22.09 -2.00 $9,992.28
New Democratic Jason De Lierre 9,168 19.36 2.89 $2,674.57
Conservative Janina Moran 3,530 7.45 0.41 $714.88
People's Michel Walsh 1,600 3.38 2.44 $2,295.27
Green Sarah Carter 1,439 3.04 -3.80 $0.00
Free Pascal Antonin 636 1.34 N/A $2.73
Communist J.P. Fortin 196 0.41 N/A $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 47,360 97.86 $110,554.58
Total rejected ballots 1,036 2.14 0.52
Turnout 48,396 60.59 -3.78
Registered voters 79,869
Liberal hold Swing 0.70
Source: Elections Canada[21]
2019 Canadian federal election: LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal David Lametti 22,803 43.52 -0.38 $80,672.35
Bloc Québécois Isabel Dion 12,619 24.09 7.04 none listed
New Democratic Steven Scott 8,628 16.47 -12.48 $15,273.80
Conservative Claudio Rocchi 3,690 7.04 0.14 none listed
Green Jency Mercier 3,583 6.84 3.65 none listed
People's Daniel Turgeon 490 0.94 none listed
No affiliation Julien Côté 274 0.52 $3,639.71
Rhinoceros Rhino Jacques Bélanger 265 0.51 $0.00
Marxist–Leninist Eileen Studd 39 0.07 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 52,391 98.38
Total rejected ballots 864 1.62 0.11
Turnout 53,255 64.37 -0.47
Eligible voters 82,733
Liberal hold Swing -3.71
Source: Elections Canada[22][23]
2015 Canadian federal election: LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal David Lametti 23,603 43.90 25.61 $93,016.24
New Democratic Hélène LeBlanc 15,566 28.95 -16.22 $46,314.39
Bloc Québécois Gilbert Paquette 9,164 17.05 -6.39 $43,806.34
Conservative Mohammad Zamir 3,713 6.91 -2.83
Green Lorraine Banville 1,717 3.19 0.64
Total valid votes/expense limit 53,763 98.49   $221,667.78
Total rejected ballots 823 1.51
Turnout 54,586 64.84
Eligible voters 84,192
Liberal notional gain from New Democratic Swing 20.91
Source: Elections Canada[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ "Search For Contributions". Elections Canada. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  2. ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. "The Honourable David Lametti". Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Centre for Intellectual Property Policy — People". Centre For Intellectual Property Policy. Pixelstream. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. ^ "David Lametti Faculty of Law". McGill Faculty of Law. McGill University. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Short Bio" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Examinations and Boards". Oxford University Gazette. 11 February 1999. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  7. ^ "David Lametti | Improvisation, Community and Social Practice". www.improvcommunity.ca. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. ^ Social Science and Humanities Research Council (1 April 2008). "ProActive Disclosure for SSHRC's Grants and Contributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Shauna Van Praagh and David Lametti promoted to Full Professors". Faculty of Law. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  10. ^ "About Us — History — Centre for Intellectual Property Policy". www.cipp.mcgill.ca. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Gouverneurs". Fondation du Barreau du Québec. Fondation du Barreau du Québec. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Lametti, David". Social Science Research Network. Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Mark Carney not only played goal for the Oxford Blues hockey team, he also managed it". The Globe and Mail. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  14. ^ NDG Soccer Association. "U16M AA Champions (Hiver)" (in French). Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  15. ^ Limoges, Par : Vanessa (9 February 2015). "David Lametti élu candidat libéral dans LaSalle-Émard-Verdun". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. ^ Canada, Elections. "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". enr.elections.ca. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries" (PDF). Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  18. ^ Siekierski, BJ. "Trudeau announces parliamentary secretaries". iPolitics. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  19. ^ Canada, Government of. "Orders In Council - Search". orders-in-council.canada.ca. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  20. ^ "David Lametti, Liberal MP and former justice minister, is leaving politics". Global News. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Official Voting Results — LaSalle—Émard—Verdun". Elections Canada. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  22. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  24. ^ Official Voting Results - LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
  25. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 2015-08-15 at the Wayback Machine
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29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jody Wilson-Raybould Minister of Justice
2019–2023
Arif Virani