The Honourable Mary Moreau has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, a decision met with praise and commendation from the Law Society of Alberta.
Bill Hendsbee, KC, President of the Law Society, acknowledged Moreau’s exemplary journey from Alberta to the nation’s highest court, recognizing it as a hallmark of her dedication to justice and the well-being of the Canadian people.
Justice Moreau, whose career spans nearly three decades on the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and includes a tenure as Chief Justice since 2017, has been noted for her substantial contributions to judicial education, ethics, and administration both domestically and globally. Her legal practice in Edmonton, focusing on criminal, constitutional, and civil litigation, laid a solid groundwork for her judicial career.
Colleagues from the Court of King’s Bench have expressed their respect for Moreau’s leadership and ethical conduct, including Justice Kent Teskey, who emphasized Alberta’s loss as a gain for the entire country with her departure. He described Moreau as the essence of the Court, someone whose presence will be profoundly missed.
In the face of the pandemic, Moreau was instrumental in establishing continuous dialogue between the Court and the Law Society, a measure of her commitment to the administration of justice as noted by Elizabeth J. Osler, KC, CEO and Executive Director of the Law Society of Alberta. Osler highlighted Moreau’s accomplishments and lauded her historic placement in the Supreme Court, marking the first time a majority of the justices are women since its inception in 1875.
Furthermore, Moreau’s appointment is groundbreaking as she becomes the first Western Canadian Francophone to join the Supreme Court, a detail that emphasizes the importance of linguistic representation and the protection of language rights in Canada. Her bilingual capabilities and her efforts to uphold the French language in Alberta’s judicial processes have been particularly applauded by Bianca Kratt, KC, of Parlee McLaws LLP and Past-President of the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch.
In her career, Moreau has not only demonstrated her legal prowess but also her dedication to the vitality of Canada’s linguistic duality, making her an asset to the Supreme Court of Canada as it continues to reflect the nation’s diverse makeup.
