Me Fernando Belton
Fernando Belton has been a criminal lawyer since 2015 and founder of Belton Avocats. He holds a master’s degree in criminal law from Osgoode Hall Law School, a bachelor’s degree in law from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and a certificate in entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School. Co-founder and Executive Director of the Clinique juridique de Saint-Michel since 2019, he is recognized for his sustained commitment to social justice and access to the law.
Mr. Belton practices criminal law with rigor and conviction, pleading before all levels of court in Quebec, including the Quebec Court of Appeal, and having contributed to the preparation of cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. He also defends victims of racial profiling across the province, in addition to teaching a course on the subject in several civil law faculties since 2021: the University of Ottawa, UQAM, the University of Montreal, McGill University and the University of Sherbrooke. He is also a trainer for major institutions such as the Barreau du Québec, the Human Rights Commission and the Profiling Observatory.
A prominent figure in the fight against racial profiling, Ms. Belton has won several high-profile cases on this issue (including R. v Sale-Nkouendji, Ville de Montréal v. Yeboah, Ville de Québec v. Niyokwizera). He is the author of several doctrinal articles cited in case law and has trained hundreds of students across Quebec on these issues.
His commitment has been recognized by numerous distinctions:
Lawyer of the Year Award – Social Involvement (Young Bar of Montreal, 2021)
Emerging Artist Award (Department of Legal Sciences at UQAM)
Finalist – Arista Gala (Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, “Young Executive of Quebec” category)
Nominations for the Prix de la justice, Quebec’s highest legal distinction
Medal of the Member of Parliament for Bourassa (2024)
Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec (2024)
Winner – Black History Month (2025)
Award of Excellence – AQAAD for his work in Leclair v. City of Montréal and AGQ v. Luamba
Gabriel Lapointe – AADM Award for his legal and social impact in his first 10 years of practice
At the same time, Mr. Belton is actively involved in the community and institution. He sits on the boards of Justice Pro Bono and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Montreal.
In 2023, he was appointed by the Minister of Justice of Canada to the Steering Group of the Canadian Black Justice Strategy, a national body tasked with advising the federal government to build a fairer justice system.
https://www.intexto.ca/pacifique-a-subi-une-commotion-cerebrale/
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