Beverley Marian McLachlin (born September 7, 1943) is a Canadian judge and writer. She was the 17th Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 to 2017. This means she was the highest judge in Canada. She holds the record for being the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. She was also the first woman to ever hold this very important position.

In July 2018, McLachlin started a three-year term as a judge on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. She was the first Canadian judge to be chosen for this role. She was asked to serve a second term in 2021. In June 2024, she announced she would retire from the Hong Kong court when her term ends in July 2024.

Early Life and Education
Judicial Career in Canada
Judicial Career in Hong Kong
- Serving on an International Court
- Other International Roles
Judicial Philosophy
- What Does a Judge Do?
Writing Career
- Books by Beverley McLachlin
Honours and Awards
- Memberships and Fellowships
Images for kids

Early Life and Education

Where Did Beverley McLachlin Grow Up?

Beverley McLachlin was born Beverley Gietz in Pincher Creek, Alberta. She was the oldest child of Eleanora Marian and Ernest Gietz. Her parents were of German background.

What Did Beverley McLachlin Study?

She attended the University of Alberta. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in philosophy. She also earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree. She was the top student in her law class.

After university, she became a lawyer in Alberta in 1969. She also became a lawyer in British Columbia in 1971. McLachlin worked as a lawyer from 1969 to 1975. From 1974 to 1981, she was a professor at the University of British Columbia.

Beverley McLachlin's Family Life

McLachlin has one son named Angus, who was born in 1976. Angus's father was Roderick McLachlin, her first husband. Roderick helped raise Angus. Sadly, Roderick McLachlin passed away in 1988. In 1992, Beverley McLachlin married Frank McArdle. He is also a lawyer.

Judicial Career in Canada

How Did Beverley McLachlin Become a Judge?

In April 1981, McLachlin was appointed as a judge to the County Court of Vancouver. Just five months later, in September 1981, she became a judge on the Supreme Court of British Columbia. In December 1985, she was appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

In September 1988, McLachlin became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. On March 30, 1989, she was chosen to be a justice on the Supreme Court of Canada. This is Canada's highest court.

Becoming Chief Justice of Canada

On January 7, 2000, Beverley McLachlin was appointed the Chief Justice of Canada. This made her the head of the entire Canadian court system. She was the first woman to ever hold this very important role.

When she became a judge on the Supreme Court of Canada, she also became a deputy of the Governor General of Canada. This means she could perform some duties of the Governor General if needed. For example, in July 2005, when Governor General Adrienne Clarkson was in the hospital, McLachlin took on some of her duties. In this role, she approved the Civil Marriage Act, which made same-sex marriage legal across Canada.

Important Roles and Honours

As Chief Justice, McLachlin led the Canadian Judicial Council. She also served on the board of governors for the National Judicial Institute. This group helps train judges. She is also a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. In 2008, France honoured her by making her a commander of the Legion of Honour. In 2006, she was appointed a commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John.

Speaking Out on Important Issues

In May 2015, McLachlin spoke at the Global Centre for Pluralism. She talked about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. She said that Canada had tried to erase Indigenous cultures. Many people supported her comments. They felt she was speaking about important historical truths.

Beverley McLachlin retired from the Supreme Court on December 15, 2017. This was nine months before she reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. Her successor as Chief Justice of Canada is Richard Wagner.

Judicial Career in Hong Kong

Serving on an International Court

In March 2018, McLachlin was chosen to be a non-permanent judge on the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong. This court invites judges from other countries to serve. McLachlin was the first Canadian judge to be appointed to this court. Her appointment was approved in Hong Kong. She began her three-year term on July 30, 2018. She was reappointed for a second three-year term in 2021.

McLachlin has chosen to continue serving on the Hong Kong court. She believes the court is still independent. She plans to retire when her term ends in July 2024.

Other International Roles

McLachlin also serves as an international judge on the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Judicial Philosophy

What Does a Judge Do?

Beverley McLachlin has a clear idea of what a judge's job is. She calls it "conscious objectivity." This means a judge must try to understand things from everyone's point of view. She said, "What you have to try to do as a judge... is by an act of the imagination put yourself in the shoes of the different parties." This helps judges make fair decisions.

McLachlin believes that laws can change as society's values change. She thinks courts are the "ultimate guardians of the rights of society." She also believes that the court should reflect the Canadian people.

She has also said that the idea of one "correct" answer to every legal question is a "myth." This means judges often have to interpret laws carefully.

Writing Career

Books by Beverley McLachlin

In 2018, McLachlin published a legal thriller novel called Full Disclosure. A legal thriller is a mystery story about lawyers and the justice system.

Her memoir, Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law, was published in 2019. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences. This book won an award in 2020 called the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. McLachlin's second novel, Denial, was published in 2021.

Honours and Awards

Arms of Beverley McLachlin
	Crest A great horned owl Proper perched on a pair of pincers fesswise Or set on a hockey stick Proper. Escutcheon Per fess Gules and Argent four pallets counterchanged overall a bezant charged with a balance Sable within a bordure compony Argent and Gules on a chief Or a pen nib between two lyres Sable. Supporters Two Labrador retrievers Sable each gorged of a collar compony Argent and Sable pendent therefrom a closed book Or charged with a livestock brand composed of the letter E and the letter G contourné both ensigned by a quarter arc embowed Gules and standing on a rocky mount set with Pacific dogwood flowers and pine trees Proper all above barry wavy Argent and Gules. Motto Wisdom Compassion Justice

McLachlin is the honorary patron of the Institute of Parliamentary and Political Law. She has received over 31 honorary degrees from many different universities. An honorary degree is a special award given to someone for their achievements.

Honorary degrees
Location	Date	School	Degree
British Columbia	27 September 1990	University of British Columbia	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Alberta	1991	University of Alberta	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	June 1995	University of Toronto	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	Spring 1999	York University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	2000	Law Society of Upper Canada	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
British Columbia	2000	Simon Fraser University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Alberta	2000	University of Calgary
Ontario	8 June 2000	Brock University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
British Columbia	November 2000	University of Victoria	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Alberta	Spring 2001	University of Lethbridge	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Nova Scotia	2002	Mount Saint Vincent University	Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)
Prince Edward Island	2002	University of Prince Edward Island	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Quebec	2003	Université de Montréal	Doctorate
Nova Scotia	2004	Dalhousie University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Northern Ireland	2004	Queen's University Belfast	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Manitoba	27 May 2004	University of Manitoba	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	14 November 2004	Carleton University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Maine	7 May 2005	University of Maine at Fort Kent	Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)
Philippines	2006	Ateneo de Manila University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	18 June 2010	University of Windsor	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
Ontario	2010	Ryerson University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Nova Scotia	2010	Cape Breton University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	2011	Queen's University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Quebec	June 2011	Concordia University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	26 October 2012	University of Western Ontario	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
Ontario	2012	Lakehead University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Scotland	2014	University of Edinburgh	Doctorate
Quebec	2015	Bishop's University	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
Ontario	31 May 2016	Laurentian University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Quebec	1 June 2016	McGill University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Alberta	28 April 2017	Lethbridge College	Bachelor of Applied Arts
Newfoundland and Labrador	19 October 2017	Memorial University of Newfoundland	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Ontario	2019	University of Ontario Institute of Technology	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)

Order of Saint John – Commander

Memberships and Fellowships

Country	Date	Organisation	Position
Canada	March 2011	Royal Heraldry Society of Canada	Vice Patron
United States of America		American College of Trial Lawyers	Honorary Fellow

Images for kids

Beverley McLachlin's coat of arms

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