OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed Tuesday his selection of former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour to fill the role of the nation’s upcoming governor general.
The position serves as the official representative of King Charles III of Britain. As Canada remains part of the Commonwealth, the British monarch continues to hold the ceremonial position of head of state.
According to Carney, King Charles has given his approval to the appointment based on the Prime Minister’s recommendation.
“I will have an opportunity to have very in-depth conversations with Arbour in private on issues that affect Canada and the rest of the world,” Carney said.
While the governor general holds significant constitutional responsibilities, the position primarily functions in a ceremonial and symbolic capacity. Carney’s choice represents a Francophone selection for the role.
When questioned about whether she views herself as a monarchist, Arbour responded in French that she “doesn’t really know what that term is supposed to mean” while expressing her backing of the existing governmental structure.
“I will be the representative of the Crown in a constitutional arrangement that has served Canada extremely well throughout our history, even more in recent decades. I think a system that will continue to provide continuity in our institutions and form of governance,” she said.
Arbour is set to succeed Mary Simon, who made history as Canada’s first Indigenous governor general and will complete her five-year appointment in July.
Carney described the 79-year-old Arbour as an internationally recognized legal expert, judicial figure, and champion of human rights and justice. Her judicial career included appointments to the Supreme Court of Ontario, Ontario’s Court of Appeal, and Canada’s Supreme Court.
The United Nations selected her in 1996 to serve as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals addressing the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Under her leadership, the tribunals achieved the first genocide conviction since the 1948 Genocide Convention and issued the first war crimes indictment against a serving head of state.
From 2017 to 2018, she held the position of U.N. Special Representative for International Migration.
Following American independence from Britain, Canada continued under colonial rule until 1867, then maintained its constitutional monarchy featuring a British-style parliamentary government system.
