Beverley McLachlin

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Image:Beverly McLachlin.jpg Beverley McLachlin, PC, LL.D, M.A., LL.B., BA (born September 7, 1943) is the Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold that position.

Born in Pincher Creek, Alberta, she received a BA and a MA in philosophy and an LLB from the University of Alberta. She was called to the Bar of Alberta in 1969 and to the Bar of British Columbia in 1971. She practiced law from 1969 until 1975. From 1974 until 1981 she was an Associate Professor and Professor with tenure at the University of British Columbia.

In 1981 she was appointed to the County Court of Vancouver and then to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. In 1985 she was appointed to the Court of Appeals of British Columbia and in 1988 was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on March 30, 1989 and was made Chief Justice of Canada on January 7, 2000.

Upon being sworn-in to the Supreme Court of Canada, she also became a Deputy Governor General of Canada — the other current eight of whom are the eight puisne justices.

When Governor General Adrienne Clarkson was hospitalized for a cardiac pacemaker operation on 8 July 2005, Mme Justice McLachlin served as the Queen's Administrator and performed the duties of the Governor General, including giving royal assent to the Civil Marriage Act, effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada. She relinquished that task when the Governor-General returned to good health in late July.

She is the Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council, Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, and Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute. She is a Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

She has been awarded over 21 Honourary Doctor of Laws degrees.

She has one son from her first marriage to Roderick McLachlin. Mr. McLachlin died in 1988. She remarried in 1992 to Frank McArdle.

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