Canadian Who's Who Biography

Last edited: 2018-09-17

Publication status: Active

The Hon. Louise ARBOUR C.C., G.O.Q., B.A., LL.L., LL.D., FRCPS(C)

Personal History

Born: February 10th, 1947
Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec

Languages

English
French

Education

Collège Régina Assumpta Montréal B.A. 1967
Univ. de Montréal LL.L. (with distinction) 1970

Career

Occupation: Diplomat

Field of Endeavor: Law

Current Position(s):
COUNSEL, BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS 2014–
UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECY.-GENERAL FOR INTERNAT. MIGRATION 2017–

Biography Notes:
Pres. and C.E.O., International Crisis Group 2009–2014
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2004–08
Judge, Supreme Court of Canada 1999–2004
Chief Prosecutor, Internat. War Crimes Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda 1996–99
Single Comnr., Inquiry into certain events at the Prison for Women in Kingston 1996
Judge, Court of Appeal for Ont. 1990–99 (on leave 1996–99)
Judge, Supreme Court of Ont. (High Court of Justice) 1987–90
Assoc. Dean, Osgoode Hall Law Sch. 1987
Prof. 1974–87
Law Clerk, Supreme Court of Canada (Pigeon J.) 1971–72
Honorary degrees: York Univ. 1995
Univ. of Ottawa 1997
Law Soc. of Upper Canada 1999
Univ. of New Brunswick 1999
Laurentian Univ. 1999
Université du Québec à Montréal 1999
Libre de Belgique 2000
Univ. of Victoria 2000
Kingston Royal Military Coll. 2000
Chicago-Kent Coll. of Law 2000
Université de Montréal 2000
McMaster Univ. 2000
Univ. of Western Ont. 2000
Univ. of Toronto 2000
Glasgow Univ. 2000
Queen's Univ. 2000
Carleton Univ. 2000
Mount Saint Vincent Univ. 2001
Univ. of King's Coll. 2001
Univ. de Moncton 2001
Memorial Univ. of Nfld. 2001
Windsor Univ. 2001
Concordia Univ. 2001
Univ. of British Columbia 2001
Univ. of Lakehead 2002
Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France 2003
St. Francis Xavier Univ., Antigonish, N.S. 2003
Médaille de l'Université de Montréal 1995
Achievement Award, Women's Law Assn., Toronto 1996
G. Arthur Martin Award, Criminal Lawyers' Assn., Toronto 1998
Medal of Honour, Internat. Assn. of Prosecutors 1999
Médaille du Mérite, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal 1999
Prix de la Fondation Louise Weiss, Paris 1999
Pennsylvania Bar Foundation's Second Annual Service to Humanity Award, Harrisburg 2000
Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal (Freedom from Fear), Roosevelt Study Center, Middleburg, The Netherlands 2000
Women of Distinction Award, Toronto Hadassah-Wizo 2000
Peace Award, World Federalists of Canada 2000
Lord Reading Law Soc. Human Rights Award 2000
Wolfgang Freidman Memorial Award, Columbia Law Sch. 2001
EID-UL-ADHA Award, Assn. of Progressive Muslims of Ont. 2001
Médaille du Barreau du Québec 2001
Nat. Achievement Award 2001
Jewish Women Internat. of Canada
Stefan A. Riesenfeld Symposium Award, Berkeley Jour. of Internat. Law 2002
McGill Centre for Rsch. & Teaching on Women Person of the Yr. 2002 Award
Prix de la Fondation Justice dans le Monde de l'Union internationale des Magistrats 2002 Yr. Award
Médaille de la Faculté de droit de l'Université de Montréal 2003
recognized as one of Canada's Most Powerful Top 100 Women, Women's Extve. Network 2003, 2004
Companion, Order of Canada 2007
Specially Elected Fellow, Royal Soc. of Canada 2007
Hon. Fellow, Royal Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada 2008
Grande Officière de l'Ordre national du Québec 2009
Vice-Pres., Cdn. Civil Liberties Assn. 1985–87
Lifetime Mem., Assn. des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario 1992
mem. Adv. Bd. of Editors of Internat. Humanitarian Law (Kluwer) 1998–  
Hon. Prof., Univ. of Warwick, Coventry, U.K. 1999–2004
Hon. Mem., Am. Soc. of Internat. Law 2000
Mem., Consultative Council, ONUART Fdn. 2007–  
Patron, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders 2008–  
Mem., Bd. of Trustees, Internat. Center for Transitional Justice 2008–  

Contact

Office:
1000 De La Gauchetière Street West Suite 900
Montréal, Québec, Canada
H3B 5H4
Phone: 514-954-2547

Fax: 514-954-1905
Web: http://www.blg.com

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Canadian Who's Who Biography

Abbreviations Index

ARBOUR, Hon. Louise, C.C., G.O.Q., B.A., LL.L., LL.D., FRCPS(C); diplomat; b. Montreal, Que. 10 Feb. 1947; e. Collège Régina Assumpta, Montréal B.A. 1967; Univ. de Montréal LL.L. (with distinction) 1970; COUNSEL, BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS 2014–  ; UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECY.-GEN. FOR INTERNAT. MIGRATION 2017–  ; Law Clerk, Supreme Court of Canada (Pigeon J.) 1971–72; Assoc. Dean, Osgoode Hall Law Sch. 1987, Prof. 1974–87; Judge, Supreme Court of Ont. (High Court of Justice) 1987–90; Judge, Court of Appeal for Ont. 1990–99 (on leave 1996–99); Single Comnr., Inquiry into certain events at the Prison for Women in Kingston 1996; Chief Prosecutor, Internat. War Crimes Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda 1996–99; Judge, Supreme Court of Canada 1999–2004; United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2004–08; Pres. and C.E.O., International Crisis Group 2009–14; Hon. degrees: York Univ. 1995; Univ. of Ottawa 1997; Law Soc. of Upper Canada 1999; Univ. of New Brunswick 1999; Laurentian Univ. 1999; Université du Québec à Montréal 1999; Université Libre de Belgique 2000; Univ. of Victoria 2000; Kingston Royal Military Coll. 2000; Chicago-Kent Coll. of Law 2000; Université de Montréal 2000; McMaster Univ. 2000; Univ. of Western Ontario 2000; Univ. of Toronto 2000; Glasgow Univ. 2000; Queen's Univ. 2000; Carleton Univ. 2000; Mount Saint Vincent Univ. 2001; Univ. of King's Coll. 2001; Univ. de Moncton 2001; Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland 2001; Windsor Univ. 2001; Concordia Univ. 2001; Univ. of British Columbia 2001; Univ. of Lakehead 2002; Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France 2003; St. Francis Xavier Univ., Antigonish, N.S. 2003; honours: Médaille de l'Université de Montréal 1995; Achievement Award, Women's Law Assn., Toronto 1996; G. Arthur Martin Award, Criminal Lawyers' Assn., Toronto 1998; Medal of Honour, Internat. Assn. of Prosecutors 1999; Médaille du Mérite, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal 1999; Prix de la Fondation Louise Weiss, Paris 1999; Pennsylvania Bar Fdn.'s Second Annual Service to Humanity Award, Harrisburg 2000; Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal (Freedom from Fear), Roosevelt Study Center, Middleburg, The Netherlands 2000; Women of Distinction Award, Toronto Hadassah-Wizo 2000; Peace Award, World Federalists of Canada 2000; Lord Reading Law Soc. Human Rights Award 2000; Wolfgang Freidman Memorial Award, Columbia Law Sch. 2001; EID-UL-ADHA Award, Assn. of Progressive Muslims of Ont. 2001; Médaille du Barreau du Québec 2001; Nat. Achievement Award 2001; Jewish Women Internat. of Canada; Stefan A. Riesenfeld Symposium Award, Berkeley Jour. of Internat. Law 2002; McGill Centre for Rsch. & Teaching on Women Person of the Yr. 2002 Award; Prix de la Fondation Justice dans le Monde de l'Union internationale des Magistrats 2002 Yr. Award; Médaille de la Faculté de droit de l'Université de Montréal 2003; recognized as one of Canada's Most Powerful Top 100 Women, Women's Exec. Network 2003, ’04; Companion, Order of Canada 2007; Specially Elected Fellow, Royal Soc. of Canada 2007; Hon. Fellow, Royal Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada 2008; United Nations Human Rights Prize 2008; Grande Officière de l'Ordre national du Québec 2009; North-South Prize, Council of Europe 2010; Special Jury Prize for Conflict Prevention, Fondation Chirac 2011; Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy, Am. Coll. of Trial Lawyers 2013; Top 25 Most Influencial in the justice system and legal profession, Canadian Lawyer mag. 2014; Ind., Canada's Walk of Fame 2014; Grand Officer, Order of the Crown (Belgium) 2015; Laureate of the Tang Prize, Rule of Law category 2016; Vice-Pres., Cdn. Civil Liberties Assn. 1985–87; Lifetime Mem., Assn. des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario 1992; mem. Adv. Bd. of Editors of Intl. Humanitarian Law (Kluwer) 1998–  ; Hon. Prof., Univ. of Warwick, Coventry, U.K. 1999–2004; Hon. Mem., Am. Soc. of Internat. Law 2000; Mem., Consultative Council, ONUART Fdn. 2007–  ; Patron, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders 2008–  ; Mem., Bd. of Trustees, Internat. Center for Transitional Justice 2008–  ; languages: French, English; Office: 1000 De La Gauchetière St. W., Suite 900, Montreal QC  H3B 5H4.

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