Louise Arbour

Louise Arbour
Name	Louise Arbour
Caption	Arbour in 2014
Birth date	10 February 1947
Birth place	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma mater	Collège Regina Assumpta, University of Montreal, University of Ottawa
Occupation	Lawyer, jurist, prosecutor
Known for	Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Supreme Court of Canada

Louise Arbour. A distinguished Canadian jurist and international advocate, she has profoundly shaped modern human rights law and international criminal justice. Her career spans pivotal roles from the Supreme Court of Canada to the forefront of United Nations tribunals and diplomacy. Arbour is renowned for her principled, often challenging, leadership in holding perpetrators of atrocity crimes accountable and advancing global human rights norms.

Early life and education

Born in Montreal, she was educated at the Collège Regina Assumpta before pursuing higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1967 from the University of Montreal, followed by a Bachelor of Laws in 1970. Arbour then completed a post-graduate diploma in 1971 at the University of Ottawa's Institute of Comparative Law. Her early academic foundation in Quebec's civil law tradition and common law principles positioned her for a unique legal career. During this period, she also served as a law clerk for Justice Louis-Philippe Pigeon of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Legal and judicial career

Arbour began her professional career as a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario (High Court of Justice) in 1987 and later to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1990. Her judicial reputation for intellectual rigor and fairness led to her landmark appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1999, where she served until 2004. During her tenure on the bench, she authored significant rulings on criminal law, Charter rights, and administrative law.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda

In 1996, Arbour took leave from the Ontario Court of Appeal to serve as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Her tenure was marked by historic indictments, including against Slobodan Milošević, the first sitting head of state charged with war crimes. She vigorously pursued cases related to the Srebrenica massacre and the Rwandan genocide, strengthening the tribunals' legitimacy. Her work established crucial precedents for prosecuting sexual violence as instruments of war and genocide.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2004 by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan, she led the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2008. Arbour advocated forcefully for human rights in conflicts including Darfur and Sri Lanka, and criticized counter-terrorism measures like those at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. She launched the critical Durban Review Conference process and emphasized economic and social rights. Her outspoken tenure often brought her into diplomatic friction with powerful member states like the United States and China.

Later career and activities

After leaving the United Nations, Arbour led the International Crisis Group from 2009 to 2014. In 2018, she was appointed by the Government of Canada to lead an independent inquiry into the treatment of incarcerated women, resulting in the influential "Arbour Report". She also served as the United Nations Special Representative for International Migration. In 2021, she was named the Independent Special Advisor to the Canadian Minister of National Defence on addressing sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Awards and honors

Arbour has received numerous accolades, including being made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor. She holds over forty honorary doctorates from institutions like the University of Toronto and Columbia University. Other recognitions include the Justice Medal from the World Jurist Association, the François-Xavier Bagnoud Prize, and the Pearson Peace Medal. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Category:Canadian judges Category:United Nations officials Category:1947 births