Justice Pierre G. Boutet was elected President of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in March 2022 for a period of 2 years. Which expired end of February 2024.
He had previously been appointed as a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2013. He has served as a Judge of the Special Court for Sierra Leone from 2002 to 2009.
Prior to his appointment as a Special Court Judge, Justice Pierre G. Boutet had served in the Canadian Forces as a Legal Officer occupying various positions and completed his career at the rank of Brigadier-General.
In 1982, Justice Boutet became a Military Judge, assumed the position of Deputy Chief Military Trial Judge in 1986 and was appointed Chief Military Trial Judge in 1987. As a Judge, he participated in and presided over numerous trials in Canada and in many other parts of the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.
In 1993, on promotion, he became the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Canadian Forces and was responsible for the provision of legal advice and legal services to the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. He used his position to increase awareness of international humanitarian law in the Canadian Forces and in Canada. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War since 1996.
Invested as Commander of the Order of Military Merit in December 1994 He was awarded the Order of Canada as a member in May 2014.