Maximilien Polak is a former judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

 and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 in the Canadian province of Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

. He arrived in Canada in 1952, where he attended the Université de Montréal

Université de Montréal

The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...

, earning a degree in law in 1958.

Polak served as a municipal court judge in Cote Saint Luc from 1969 to 1979.

In 1981, Polak ventured into politics, and was elected to the Quebec National Assembly as a Liberal, representing the district of Sainte-Anne

Sainte-Anne (provincial electoral district)

Sainte-Anne was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Greater Montreal Area, it was formed in 1890 from parts of Montreal-Centre. In 1994, it became part of Saint-Henri—Sainte-Anne after a merger with Saint-Henri. From 1890 to 1912 it was also known as...

. He was re-elected in 1985, and served as the deputy whip

Whip (politics)

A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...

. In 1989, he chose not to run again, and instead became a judge of the Quebec Superior Court

Quebec Superior Court

Quebec Superior Court is the highest trial Court in the Province of Quebec, Canada. It consists of 144 judges who are appointed by the federal government.Chief Justices : [partial listing]* Edward Bowen...

. 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.