Professor Pierre-Gabriel Jobin

Biography

Professor Pierre-Gabriel Jobin, Ad. E., holds a Bachelor of arts and a Bachelor of philosophy (with Great Distinction) from Laval University, a BCL from the same university, and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in private law (with Great Distinction) from University of Montpellier I (1972). He practiced law at the Flynn Rivard law firm from 1966 to 1969. From 1972 to 1976 he was an assistant professor at the Law Faculty of Laval University and soon afterwards joined McGill University’s Faculty of Law as an associate professor. He was promoted to full professorship in 1980. He was a visiting professor at the University of Montpellier I in 1998.

In 2007, he was appointed Wainwright Chair Professor in Civil Law. Since his retirement in January 2009, he holds the title of Emeritus Wainwright Professor in Civil Law and remains an active scholar in research and publications at the Faculty. He was elected an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law in 1999 and a titular member in 2000.

Pierre-Gabriel Jobin has dedicated his career to the development and thorough understanding of Quebec civil law from a comparative law perspective, and to the promotion of comparative law in Quebec and internationally. He has taught and still publishes in the areas of general law of contracts, the law of obligations, sale, lease, civil liability, consumer law, comparative law, and the reform of the Civil Code.

He has published many articles in Canadian legal journals and abroad, including “Influence et enjeux de la doctrine des magistrats français et québécois” (with professor Didier Cholet, 2023) and “L’histoire mouvementée du droit comparé au Québec” (2025). He is the author of classic works on Quebec law: the renowned reference book, initially published by Justice Jean-Louis Baudouin, Les obligations, 5^th edition, 1998, 6^th edition with the collaboration of Professor Nathalie Vézina, 2005, and 7^th edition, with Professor N. Vézina, 2013; the volume Le louage (2^nd edition, 1996) in the Traité de droit civil collection; La vente, 4^th edition, 2017, with Professor Michelle Cumyn. He has also published Les contrats de distribution de biens techniques (1975) and is the Canadian correspondent for the Revue trimestrielle de droit civil. He has delivered many conferences as well.

He was awarded the Loubers Excellence Prize by the Faculty of Law and Economics of the University of Montpellier I (1969-1970). Professor Jobin has received the Quebec Bar Foundation’s Prize for an article ("Les effets du droit pénal ou administratif sur le contrat : où s'arrêtera l'ordre public?", 1985) and later for his book on lease (Traité de droit civil. Le louage de choses, 1990).

He was awarded the Medal of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Branch (2003). In 2010, he received the Merit Award of the Quebec Bar and was named advocatus emeritus (Ad. E.). In 2014, he was awarded the Justitia Prize by the Law Faculty of Laval University and, in 2024, the Paul-André Crépeau Medal.

Professor Jobin has actively contributed to the profession. He was very much involved in the management of the Quebec Society of Comparative Law where he served as president for a number of years (1991-1997, 1999-2005) and served as a board member as past president (2005-2013). He designed the concept of the new Traité de droit civil, together with Professors Paul-André Crépeau and John E.C. Brierley, and wrote the first volume of that collection, Le louage. He has served on numerous legal work juries, including for the Quebec Bar Foundation Prize (1991-1996) and as president of the Canada Prize of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2014). He has been involved in various committees of the Quebec Bar, including that on legislation (1990-2013) and that on equivalences (1986-1994, 1997-2004).

He served as the long-time associate editor, civil law, of the Canadian Bar Review (1988-2003). In addition, he was editor of the Cahiers de Droit (1975-1976), president of the Association des professeurs de droit du Québec (1978-1979), executive director for the Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law (1986-1990), and co-founder of the Pierre-Basile Mignault interuniversity Moot Court Competition (1978).