Louise Arbour

Louise Arbour, Template:Post-nominals (born February 10, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, prosecutor and jurist.

Arbour was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. From 2009 until 2014, she served as President and CEO of the International Crisis Group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She made history with the indictment of a sitting head of state, Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević, as well as the first prosecution of sexual assault as a crime against humanity. From March 2017 to December 2018 she was the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for International Migration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is currently in private practice in Montreal.<ref>The Honourable Louise Arbour C.C., G.O.Q., Senior Counsel, Borden Ladner Gervais.</ref>

Early life and education

Louise Arbour was born in Montreal, Quebec to Bernard and Rose (née Ravary) Arbour, the owners of a hotel chain. She attended convent school, during which time her parents divorced. As editor of the school magazine, she earned a reputation for irreverence.<ref name="CBC1">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1967, she graduated from Collège Regina Assumpta, and proceeded to the Université de Montréal where she completed an LL.B. with distinction in 1970. She was a law clerk for Justice Louis-Philippe Pigeon of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1971–1972 while completing graduate studies at the Faculty of Law (Civil Section) of the University of Ottawa. This is where she met her long time common-law partner Larry Taman, with whom she lived for 27 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 2014 interview, Arbour named the move from Quebec to Ontario as the "biggest hurdle [she] had to overcome to succeed in [her] career," as her entire education had been in French.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

She was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1971 and the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1977.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

She has three adult children: Emilie, Patrick and Catherine.<ref name=":1" /> Her daughter Emilie Taman was an NDP candidate in the 2015 Canadian election in the electoral district of Ottawa—Vanier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Emilie also was a candidate for the NDP in the 2017 by-election<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 2019 general election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also has three grandchildren.<ref name=":0" />

Arbour is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legal career

Canada

From 1972–73, Arbour was research officer for the Law Reform Commission of Canada. She then taught at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, first as a Lecturer (1974), then as Assistant Professor (1975), Associate Professor (1977–1987), and finally as Associate Professor and Associate Dean (1987). She was vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association until her appointment to the Supreme Court of Ontario (High Court of Justice) in 1987 and to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 1990. In 1995, Arbour was appointed as President of a Commission of Inquiry, under the Inquiries Act, for the purpose of investigating and reporting on events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario, following allegations by prisoners of abuse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The inquiry resulted in the publication of the Arbour Report.

The Hague

In 1996, at Richard Goldstone's recommendation, Arbour was appointed as his replacement as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, and of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. She indicted then-Serbian President Slobodan Milošević for war crimes, the first time a serving head of State was called to account before an international court.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Supreme Court of Canada

In 1999, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed Arbour to the Supreme Court of Canada on May 26, just one day before the publication of the indictment of Milosevic by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).<ref name="CBC2">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2004, Arbour retired from the Supreme Court of Canada, having served for just under five years.<ref name="GlobeAndMail1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CBC3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career after law

United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights

After leaving the Supreme Court of Canada, Arbour became the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights.<ref name="GlobeAndMail1"/> She criticized a number of countries for their human rights records.<ref name="CBC4">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, she stepped down after serving one four year term.<ref name="CBC4"/>

Works and awards

She has published works in the areas of criminal procedure and criminal law, in both French and English. At various times, she has served as an editor for the Criminal Reports, the Canadian Rights Reporter, and the Osgoode Hall Law Journal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2005, Arbour was awarded the Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights, along with Justice Richard Goldstone, in recognition of her work on the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was the subject of a 2005 fact-based Canadian-German made-for-television movie, Template:Ill, which follows her quest to indict Bosnian Serb war criminals. Arbour was played by Canadian actress Wendy Crewson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Tang Prize Award in rule of law for her enduring contributions to international criminal justice and the protection of human rights, and to promoting peace, justice and security at home and abroad, and to working within the law to expand the frontiers of freedom for all.

She was made a Companion to the Order of Canada in 2007 "for her contributions to the Canadian justice system and for her dedication to the advancement of human rights throughout the world".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She was made a Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She has been awarded numerous honorary degrees, including Doctor of Civil Laws from the University of Western Ontario in June 2000,Template:Citation needed Doctor of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University in May 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of British Columbia in November 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the University of Waterloo in October 2006,Template:Citation needed in June 2009 from the University of AlbertaTemplate:Citation needed and University of Guelph,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and from Simon Fraser University in October 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On March 9, 2017, Arbour was appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres, to be his Special Representative for International Migration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her chief of staff was Jonathan Prentice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2021, Arbour was appointed to lead an independent review of the military’s handling of sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct, by Canadian Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan.<ref name="GlobeAndMail2">Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2022, she delivered her report to Canadian Minister of National Defence Anita Anand.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

She is currently a member of the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute's International Council.Template:Citation needed

In January 2023, Arbour was awarded the 2023 Sandra Day O'Connor Justice Prize from Arizona State University, a lifetime achievement award for human rights work as well as upholding the rule of law and judicial independence.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• Reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada by Justice Arbour
• The Canadian made-for-TV movie Template:Ill (2005) is a docudrama account of Arbour's work as prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

External links

• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Profile of Louise Arbour
• Template:CanadaSupremeCourtbio
• Concordia University Honorary Degree Citation Template:Webarchive, June 2001, Concordia University Records Management and Archives
• Template:LittleSisPerson