Justin Trudeau has selected Mary Moreau, a judge from Alberta, to sit on Canada’s highest court, making it the first time in 148 years that the supreme court will have a majority of female justices.
Moreau’s appointment to Canada’s highest court will result in a balance of five female judges and four male judges. She previously served as the chief justice of Alberta’s superior court for 29 years and will now fill the empty seat on the supreme court left by Russell Brown’s resignation in June.
Moreau was born in Edmonton, Alberta and pursued studies at the University of Alberta and the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec. After completing their studies, Moreau specialized in criminal law, constitutional law, and civil litigation.
The Canadian justice minister, Arif Virani, declared that a significant barrier has been broken as Moreau was appointed to the supreme court bench. This marks the first time in history that the majority of the bench will be comprised of women.
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.
“Mary T Moreau has shown unwavering commitment to fairness and excellence throughout her distinguished tenure as a judge. As such, I am pleased to announce her nomination to the Supreme Court of Canada,” Trudeau shared on Twitter.
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, a nonpartisan advisory board independently selected eligible candidates and presented them to Trudeau.
The individuals applying must be proficient in both English and French, the official languages. In order to fill the current open position, the candidate must be from either western or northern Canada to fulfill the regional representation criteria.
Source: theguardian.com
