Experienced jurist Michelle O’Bonsawin would become the first Indigenous person to serve on the Supreme Court of Canada.
Michelle O’Bonsawin has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced, in a move that will make the veteran judge the first Indigenous person to serve on the nation’s highest court.
In a statement On Friday, Trudeau praised O’Bonsawin, who has served as an Ontario Superior Court judge since 2017, as “an accomplished jurist” with expertise in mental health, human rights, labor and employment law. use.
“His appointment is the result of an open and non-partisan selection process. I am confident that Justice O’Bonsawin will bring invaluable knowledge and contributions to our nation’s highest court,” he said.
The appointment of O’Bonsawin, an Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation, was welcomed as an “astonishing” and “historic” gesture.
FIRST👏🏽NATIVE 👏🏽PERSON👏🏽NOMINED 👏🏽TO👏🏽THE👏🏽SUPREME👏🏽SHORT👏🏽
And an aboriginal woman to boot.
Congratulations Michelle O’Bonsawin…what an amazing nomination!! https://t.co/eZxPIdgfLm pic.twitter.com/Avwpmlp8Yv
— Nahanni Fontaine (@NahanniFontaine) August 19, 2022
In a quiz for federal judicial appointments shared by the government, as reported by CBC News, O’Bonsawin said her lived experience as an Indigenous woman helps inform her work.
“My experience as a Francophone Indigenous woman, mother and professional working in the fields of mental health and Indigenous law gives me the perspective that Canada is diverse because I am part of this diversity,” she writes in the questionnaire. .
“My experience is a clear example of the rich diversity that makes our country so special to me and my family. My experiences have taught me that discrimination still exists in Canada, but by being aware of these experiences and through my mental health work, I believe I can help make our country a more inclusive, just and equitable society for all. .
Her appointment came after Canada named Indigenous leader Mary Simon as the country’s 30th Governor General last year, making her the first Indigenous person to hold the largely ceremonial post.
Last year, Mahmud Jamal also became the first person of color appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and Trudeau had also faced appeals to appoint an Indigenous jurist to the highest court.
“Given the myriad ways in which Canadian law is used against Indigenous peoples — as a mechanism of dispossession, cultural destruction and social control — the appointment of an Indigenous jurist to the highest court would represent an important step towards resolving Canada’s ignominious legal history,” Toby Goldback, assistant professor of law at the University of British Columbia, wrote in The Ottawa Citizen in March.
O’Bonsawin’s nomination will be presented to a special parliamentary committee next week, which will hear about the selection process, Trudeau said in a Friday statement.
Committee members will then hold a question and answer session with O’Bonsawin.
Today, Michelle O’Bonsawin is appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Experienced bilingual lawyer and Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation. A historic moment for the @scc_eng, and for all of Canada. Congratulations, Judge O’Bonsawin. https://t.co/Cj0YjUf1KR
—David Lametti (@DavidLametti) August 19, 2022
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