Mary Moreau Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Mary Moreau
Office1:Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Termstart1:November 6, 2023
Nominator1:Justin Trudeau
Appointer1:Mary Simon
Predecessor1:Russell Brown
Office2:Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta
Termstart2:October 17, 2017
Termend2:November 6, 2023
Nominator2:Justin Trudeau
Birth Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Alma Mater:University of Alberta
Profession:Lawyer

Mary T. Moreau (born 1955 or 1956) is a Canadian jurist serving as a puisne justice on the Supreme Court of Canada since November 6, 2023. She formerly served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta from 2017–2023. Her formal welcoming to the Supreme Court of Canada occurred on February 19, 2024.

Early life and education

Moreau was born in Edmonton, Alberta. She attended the University of Alberta Faculty of Law from 1976 to 1979, enrolled in a Civil Code of Québec study program at the University of Sherbrooke in 1977, and was called to the bar by the Law Society of Alberta in 1980.

Career

Moreau began her career as a lawyer practising criminal law, constitutional law, and civil litigation. Over her career she took on cases including minority language rights and Charter rights. She then became a judge in 1994.[1]

In 2017, Moreau became the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.[2] On October 26, 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Moreau to the Supreme Court of Canada to replace Russell Brown following his resignation on June 12, 2023, following allegations of harassment.[3] Her appointment was confirmed on November 6, 2023.[4] She filled one of the two seats on the bench reserved for those from Western Canada.[5]

She is also a founder of the French: i=no|Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta, a French-language rights organization.

Judicial philosophy

Over her judicial career, Moreau has advocated for equal access to justice in both of Canada's official languages: English and French.[6] As a young lawyer she won the right for Albertans to choose a criminal trial in French with a French-speaking jury, after a six-year fight ending in the Supreme Court of Canada.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Trudeau announces nomination of Alberta judge Mary Moreau to Supreme Court . Toronto Star . October 26, 2023.
  2. News: 1st woman appointed chief justice of Alberta Court of Queen's Bench . CBC . October 17, 2017.
  3. Web site: Prime Minister announces the nomination of the Honourable Mary T. Moreau to the Supreme Court of Canada . October 26, 2023 . Prime Minister's Office.
  4. Web site: The Honourable Mary T. Moreau. November 6, 2023. Supreme Court of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario. November 10, 2023.
  5. News: Alberta francophone to be appointed next Supreme Court justice: sources. October 26, 2023 . CBC .
  6. News: Mary Moreau, une femme engagée pour la justice en français . Radio Ici . October 17, 2017.