The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has selected Mary Moreau, a judge from Alberta, to serve on the nation’s highest court. This decision marks the first time in the supreme court’s 148-year existence that a majority of its members are female.
Canada’s Supreme Court will now have five female judges and four male judges with the appointment of Moreau. She has been a judge in Alberta’s superior court for 29 years and was previously the chief justice. Moreau’s appointment fills the vacancy left by Russell Brown’s resignation in June.
Moreau was born in Edmonton, Alberta and went on to study at the University of Alberta and the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec. After completing their studies, Moreau pursued a career in criminal law, constitutional law, and civil litigation.
“The appointment of Justice Mahmud Jamal has broken through a glass ceiling,” stated Canada’s Minister of Justice, Arif Virani, on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). He acknowledged that Moreau’s appointment will result in a majority of women on the Canadian Supreme Court bench for the first time ever.
Trudeau has made Canada’s top court more diverse with his recent appointments. In June 2021, Mahmud Jamal became the first judge of color to sit on the supreme court, and a year later Michelle O’Bonsawin became the first Indigenous person to join it.
“Trudeau announced today his nomination of Mary T Moreau to the supreme court of Canada, recognizing her commitment to fairness and excellence throughout her impressive career in the judicial system.”
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, an impartial advisory board selected suitable candidates and presented them to Trudeau for consideration.
Applicants were required to be proficient in both English and French in order to be considered for the position. In order to satisfy the regional representation criteria, the chosen candidate must be from either western Canada or northern Canada.
Source: theguardian.com
