Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has appointed Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie Deschamps to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Deschamps has served on the Quebec Court of Appeal since 1992.

She replaces Justice Claire L'Heureux-Dubé who retired in July after 15 years on the court.

Justice Marie Deschamps

Deschamps was born in Repentigny, Quebec. She earned her law degree at the University of Montreal in 1974 and her master's of law at McGill University in 1983.

She is known for her expertise in complex commercial litigation.

The law guarantees three of nine seats on the Supreme Court go to judges from Quebec.

Tradition dictates that three other judges come from Ontario, two from the West and one from Atlantic Canada.

The prime minister usually consults law societies, legal experts and the federal justice minister before appointing a judge to the bench.

This is his fifth high court appointment since he became prime minister in 1993.

Observers predicted Deschamps would be a contender for the job along with justices Louise Mailhot, Louise Otis, Morris Fish and Michel Proulx.