Mr. MacLauchlan, thank you for your thoughtful and honest comments.
I now have the immense honour of talking to you about Chief Justice Moreau and her candidacy for the Supreme Court of Canada, which I support. I feel sincerely privileged to appear before you to talk about her many achievements and the exceptional journey that has led to this moment today. This is just one part of her most brilliant moments to date, a foundation of excellence that Chief Justice Moreau will undoubtedly build on during her entire time at the Supreme Court.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Chief Justice Moreau's illustrious career was nurtured in that province. She studied at the Faculté Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta prior to completing her Bachelor of Laws in 1979 at the same university. Her legal studies included participation in the common law/civil law exchange program at the Université de Sherbrooke in 1977. More recently, in 2019, she was granted an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta.
After being called to the Alberta Bar in 1980, Chief Justice Moreau acquired expertise in criminal law, as Mr. MacLauchlan mentioned, as well as in areas of constitutional law and civil litigation. Before her judicial appointment, she litigated numerous landmark cases involving minority language rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Chief Justice Moreau is an esteemed jurist by any analysis, having honed her skills for 29 years on the Court of King's Bench of Alberta and having been appointed as its chief justice in 2017. During her tenure on that bench, she was also appointed as a deputy judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon in 1996 and of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in 2005, so as to extend her judicial horizons.
Reflecting on the long career of Chief Justice Moreau, who is recognized for her exceptional work ethic and her considerable humility, I am struck by her many accomplishments, but also by her strong commitment to her legal and judicial communities. Beyond the leadership she has shown as a Chief Justice, she has demonstrated a deep and sustained devotion to judicial education, administration and conduct.
She was, among other things, a co-founder of the Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta, served as a member of the national advisory committee on judicial ethics from 2014 to 2017 and was president of the Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association from 2011 to 2012.
Since her 2017 appointment as chief justice, she's been a member of the Canadian Judicial Council, joining its executive committee in 2021 and its judicial conduct committee in 2020, and chairing its technology subcommittee since 2022. She was also a member of the action committee on modernizing court operations and chair of the judicial advisory committee for military judge appointments.
Her accomplishments reveal a drive to impart knowledge and a commitment to giving back to other jurists so that the profession as a whole may flourish. She has been a regular lecturer at judicial education conferences and programs, having co-chaired the National Judicial Institute's annual spring national criminal law conference for six years.
In a reflection of the breadth of her interests, she also participated in international judicial education and support projects and chaired the Commission for Federal Judicial Affairs' judicial advisory committee on international engagement.
The fact that Chief Justice Moreau stood out so much among the other candidates speaks to her skills, integrity and exceptional dedication to the fair administration of justice for all Canadians. I am pleased that her appointment marks the first time that women will hold the majority at the highest court of the land, as Mr. MacLauchlan mentioned.
I'm going to conclude by just reiterating my thanks to Mr. MacLauchlan and all of his fellow IAB members, all the individuals consulted and every candidate who took the time to apply and participate in this very rigorous and thorough process.
I am honoured to have been able to support the appointment of Chief Justice Moreau, a truly exemplary person and jurist. There is no doubt that her exceptional services and professional excellence will benefit all Canadians, just like all her colleagues at the Supreme Court.
I will be pleased to answer your questions.