Moreau, Mary (1956-…), became a puisne << PYOO nee >> (associate) judge of the Supreme Court of Canada in 2023. Her appointment was historic in that it created a female majority on the court for the first time. Prior to her appointment, Moreau served on the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta for nearly 30 years.
During her legal career, Moreau has developed particular expertise in criminal and constitutional law, but she has also practiced family law and civil litigation (the action of carrying out a lawsuit). In addition, she has shown a commitment to the language rights of cultural minorities.
Moreau was born on April 28, 1956, in Edmonton, in the Canadian province of Alberta. Moreau identifies as a Francophone (French speaker). She grew up in a culturally mixed family of French and English speakers in a mainly English-speaking community. Moreau attended the University of Alberta as an undergraduate and a law student in the 1970’s. She completed a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1979. The following year, she was called to Alberta’s bar—that is, the body of lawyers licensed to practice law in the province. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, Moreau worked as a lawyer at several law firms in Edmonton. Moreau was a co-founder of the French-speaking Legal Professionals Association of Alberta (AJEFA), created in 1990 to promote access to the justice system in French.
In 1994, Moreau was appointed as a judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. In 2017, she became the first woman, and the first Francophone, to serve as chief justice of that court. In addition to serving on the Court of King’s Bench, Moreau was appointed as a deputy judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon in 1996. In 2005, she was appointed as a deputy judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. Moreau served on all three courts until 2023. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on Nov. 6, 2023, after being nominated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Throughout her career, Moreau has taken an active interest in judicial administration, education, and ethics. She has participated as an educator in professional development and training programs for judicial personnel in a number of foreign countries. From 2014 to 2017, she was a member of the National Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. In addition, from 2017 to 2023, Moreau was a member of the Canadian Judicial Council. This body oversees the education and discipline of judges appointed by Canada’s federal government.
