Claire L’Heureux-Dubé

The Honourable Claire L’Heureux-Dubé was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1987. She retired from the Court in July 2002. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1952, she served in private practice in Quebec City from 1952 to 1973, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1969. She was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec in 1973 and to the Quebec Court of Appeal in 1979. Her contributions to law and public life have been recognized with eleven honourary doctorates and numerous prestigious awards. These honours include The Yves Pelicier Award, presented by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health (2002), the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, from the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession (1998), the Prix de la Justice, presented by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (1997), and The Canadian Award, presented by the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (for An outstanding Canadian Advocate of Equality and Champion of Human Rights). On her retirement from the Supreme Court of Canada, the University of Ottawa honoured Justice L’Heureux-Dube by establishing the Claire L’Heureux-Dube Fund for Social Justice. She was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003 and was awarded the Quebec Order of Merit (l’Ordre national du Quebec) in 2004.