2022 TLA AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Louise Arbour
The Honourable Louise Arbour to receive the Toronto Lawyers’ Association Award of Distinction on May 10, 2022 in Toronto
The Toronto Lawyers Association’s Award of Distinction is awarded each year to a Toronto lawyer who has a demonstrated record of excellence, and has made an extraordinary contribution to the integrity and worth of the law and to the legal profession.
We are delighted to announce that the Honourable Louise Arbour C.C., G.O. Q, will be the recipient of this prestigious award for 2021. The Award will be bestowed on her at the TLA’s annual Awards Gala to be held on May 10, 2022 at the Locomotive Hall at Steam Whistle Brewery.
A Canadian national icon, Louise Arbour is one of the most prominent and highly regarded lawyers and human rights advocates within Canada and on the world stage. She has earned an unparalleled and distinguished reputation which has its roots when she enrolled in 1974 at Osgoode Hall School of York University in Toronto and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1977.
In December 1987 she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario, and in 1990 to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. In 1995, as Commissioner of an inquiry into the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario, Arbour produced the ground-breaking report which accelerated the move towards modern institutions specifically designed to meet the security and programming needs of women inmates.
In 1996, Arbour was appointed by the Security Council of the United Nations as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. After three years as Prosecutor, she resigned to take up her appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Remarkably, but not surprisingly, Arbour has received 40 honorary degrees and is affiliated with many distinguished professional societies and organizations. In 2009, she became a member of the Advisory Board for the 2011 World Bank Development Report: ‘Conflict, Security and Development’; in 2010, she joined the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security; and in April 2011, became a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
She is a Companion of the Order of Canada (2007) and a Grande Officière de l’Ordre national du Quebec (2009). She is the recipient of numerous medals and awards, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom from Fear Award (2000), the French Legion of Honour (2010), and has been decorated by Spain, Colombia and Belgium. Ms. Arbour received the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe in March 2011. She was also named laureate of the 2016 Tang Prize in the Rule of Law category. In April 2021, Arbour was appointed to lead an independent review of the military’s handling of sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct, by the Canadian Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan.
“Louise Arbour’s long-standing contribution to the practice of law is universally acknowledged. She is recognized throughout Canada and internationally as a champion of human rights and perpetual seeker of truth and justice.” said Michael J. L. White, TLA Board President. “Her passion and knowledge of the criminal justice system has always been valued by students, recently called, and established lawyers who share her quest for social justice. She epitomizes the dedication, empathy and pursuit of justice to which we aspire in our profession,” he added.
Read Louise Arbour's interview - In Conversation with Louise Arbour
Join us to celebrate Louise Arbour’s unwavering dedication to the legal profession!