OTTAWA — Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour is adding the King’s representative in Canada to her extensive resume as she prepares to become the country’s next governor general.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday that Arbour, 79, will succeed Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who has served in the role since July 2021.
Arbour was born in Montreal and earned her law degree from the University of Montreal.
Her legal roles included an appointment as a judge on the Supreme Court of Ontario in 1987, before transitioning to the province’s court of appeal three years later.
Arbour rose to global prominence in the 1990s as the chief prosecutor on war crimes and genocide in both the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She was tapped for both roles by then-UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
She became a Supreme Court of Canada justice in 1999, as the third woman to be called to the nation’s highest court.
In 2004, Arbour stepped down from the Supreme Court after she was appointed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In that role, she spoke out against human rights violations around the world, including in the Darfur region of Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya.
Arbour returned to Canada in 2008 in order to spend more time with her family.
The former judge remained an active figure in retirement, leading the 2021 independent review of the Canadian Armed Forces’ handling of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct complaints.
She issued 48 recommendations in that report, including recommending that civilian investigators handle sexual misconduct complaints in the military. Legislation to make this change is still before the House of Commons.
When she is sworn in as governor general in early June, Arbour will also become the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
