Quebec's Justice Department has confirmed that the lawyer who agreed to file an appeal on behalf of convicted cop killer Justin Bourque has been appointed as a judge in Quebec.

A department spokeswoman says Joelle Roy, a lawyer with the law firm Gagne & Roy in Saint-Jerome, Que., was appointed to the criminal division in Montreal in early February.

Roy could not be reached for comment.

In October, she confirmed she was representing Bourque and was working on an appeal of his case.

In August 2014, Bourque pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder for killing RCMP constables Dave Ross, Fabrice Gevaudan and Doug Larche during a shooting rampage in Moncton on June 4, 2014.

Bourque was later sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 75 years, a sentence that some legal experts say could constitute cruel and unusual punishment.