1st Indigenous Supreme Court Justice Appointed

August 26, 2022The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Michelle O’Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada, effective September 1, 2022.

Justice O’Bonsawin is an accomplished jurist with expertise in the areas of mental health, Gladue principles, labour and employment law, human rights, and privacy law, and has been a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa since 2017. Justice O’Bonsawin holds a B.A., an LL.B., and an LL.M., and completed her Ph.D. in Law earlier this year. A fluently bilingual Franco-Ontarian, she is an Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation.

This appointment is the fifth under the Supreme Court selection process launched by the Government of Canada in 2016. Through this process, an independent and non-partisan advisory board chaired by the Honourable H. Wade MacLauchlan was tasked with identifying candidates.

Justice O’Bonsawin will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice Michael J. Moldaver.

https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2022/08/26/prime-minister-announces-appointment-honourable-michelle-obonsawin