Carney Names Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour as Next Governor General

Prime Minister Mark Carney has picked former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour to be Canada’s next governor general.

“Louise Arbour has held nearly every office a Canadian jurist can hold, and several that no Canadian has held before,” Carney said during a May 5 press conference at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Arbour’s “entire life” has been dedicated to ensuring Canada functions in accordance with the law, Carney told reporters.

“It’s a duty that calls for sound judgment, deep learning, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law,” Carney said, adding that this is why Arbour has been chosen for the role.

Arbour, 79, said she would “strive to serve with honour, dedication and integrity” in her new role.  

“Canada is a wonderful country, shaped by its diversity of people, of perspectives and experiences, but I think shaped, also, mostly by a common respect for strong public institutions and for the rule of law,” Arbour said at the press conference.

Arbour served as vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association from 1985 until she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario in 1987. She was then appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 1990.

Arbour was appointed in 1996 by the United Nations Security Council as the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda—the first international criminal tribunals since the Nuremberg trials following the Second World War.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed her to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1999. She served a five-year term before retiring.

She also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2004 and 2008 and was critical of several countries for their human rights records during her tenure.

In 2007, former governor general Michaëlle Jean named Arbour as a companion to the Order of Canada “for her contributions to the Canadian justice system and for her dedication to the advancement of human rights throughout the world.”

Arbour was appointed by then-National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in 2021 to lead an independent review of the military’s handling of sexual assault and harassment cases. She delivered the report in May 2022, which found the military had failed to deal with sexual misconduct and should move the prosecution of criminal code sexual offences to the civilian system. The report also criticized what Arbour called the military’s “toxic” culture of misogyny and its “glorification of masculinity.”

Mary Simon, the current governor general, is nearing the completion of her five-year term in the role. Simon was chosen by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2021 to be the country’s first indigenous governor general.

Simon, who is Inuk, had focused on reconciliation efforts while in office. Simon faced some criticism during her tenure for not being fluent in French.

Carney said that Simon had been a “steadfast representative of Canada and our institutions at home and around the world,” and had consistently advocated for indigenous and Inuit rights.