He was a judge on the Court of King's Bench of Quebec and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

Wanting to dissociate from old government, which was sullied by the scandals, Godbout sought out some non-politicians to serve in his cabinet.

On 17 August 1936, McDougall was beaten by Thomas Joseph Coonan, the Union Nationale candidate, by less than 200 votes.

The Union Nationale won more seats than the Liberals, and Godbout's short term as premier also came to an end.

In 1946, McDougall represented Canada as a judge on the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo.