Maximilien Polak (December 5, 1930 – December 27, 2022) was a Dutch-born Canadian judge and politician in the province of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
. Dutch-born and raised, Polak arrived in Canada in 1952, where he attended the
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte- ...
, earning a degree in law in 1958.
Polak served as a municipal court judge in
Côte Saint-Luc
Côte Saint-Luc (; also spelled Côte-Saint-Luc, and known historically in English as Cote St. Luke) is a city on the island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
Geography
Along with Hampstead and Montreal West, Côte Saint-Luc forms an enclave within ...
from 1969 to 1979.
In
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...
, Polak ventured into politics, and was elected to the
Quebec National Assembly
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; french: link=no, déput� ...
as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
, representing the district of
Sainte-Anne. He was re-elected in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, and served as the deputy
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...
. In
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ru ...
, he chose not to run again, and instead became a judge of
Quebec Court. He served as a judge from 1991 to 2000, at which point he retired; however, he served as an "ad hoc" judge from 2001 to 2005.
Polak's son, Michael, also a lawyer, serves as the Honorary Consul General of the Netherlands in Montreal. His daughter, Carolyn, also a lawyer, specializes in family law.
Polak died on December 27, 2022, at the age of 92.
Electoral record (incomplete)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polak, Maximilien
1930 births
2022 deaths
Judges in Quebec
Dutch emigrants to Canada
People from Leiden
Quebec Liberal Party MNAs
Université de Montréal alumni