Supreme Court: Monday welcoming ceremony for Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin

OTTAWA — A welcoming ceremony for new Supreme Court of Canada justice Michelle O’Bonsawin is taking place Monday morning.

Justice O’Bonsawin fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Michael Moldaver.

Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner considers Justice O’Bonsawin to be a leading jurist in the areas of mental health, aboriginal law, and labor and employment law. He says that throughout her career as a lawyer and judge, she has proven to be a principled, genuine and hard-working person.

She is the first Indigenous judge to join the Supreme Court. Justice Wagner argues that his visit helps to ensure that Canada’s institutions are even more reflective of the Canadian people.

Michelle O’Bonsawin was born in Hanmer, Ontario, near Sudbury. A bilingual Franco-Ontarian, she is an Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Laurentian University, a bachelor of laws from the University of Ottawa, a master’s degree in law from Osgoode Hall Law School and a doctorate in law from the University of Ottawa.