(Ottawa) The Supreme Court of Canada will have its first Indigenous judge. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has nominated Michelle O’Bonsawin, who is also “fully bilingual.”
Posted at 10:11 a.m.
It took a few years for Justin Trudeau to find a first magistrate who was both Indigenous and bilingual, a combination that was considered rare. But more broadly, it will have been necessary to wait decades before this historic appointment.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada, a body recognized worldwide for its strength, excellence and independence,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.
“Judge O’Bonsawin was appointed following an open and non-partisan selection process. I am confident that she will bring invaluable knowledge and contributions to our nation’s highest court,” he continued.
A “perfectly bilingual” Franco-Ontarian, the magistrate is an Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation.
She has served in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa since 2017.
Justice O’Bonsawin is “an accomplished jurist specializing in the areas of mental health, adjudicative principles Gladuelabor and employment law, human rights and privacy law,” reads the government press release announcing his selection.
She was selected to replace Judge Michael Moldaver, who was unilingual Anglophone, and whose retirement date had been set for 1er september.