Louise Arbour

Louise Arbour is a Canadian jurist, lawyer, and former international prosecutor who has served at the Supreme Court of Canada, in senior United Nations human-rights roles, and as chief prosecutor for the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Louise Arbour is a Canadian jurist, lawyer, and former international prosecutor who has served at the Supreme Court of Canada, in senior United Nations human-rights roles, and as chief prosecutor for the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. In 2026, she became the 31st governor general of Canada. She is noted for major international war-crimes prosecutions and for her work on human rights.

Early life and education

Louise Arbour was born in Montréal, Quebec, and earned her Licentiate in Law from the Université de Montréal in 1970. She was called to the Quebec Bar in 1971 and later the Ontario Bar in 1977.

Judicial career

Arbour served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1999 to 2004. Before that, she served on the Ontario Court of Appeal and in the Ontario court system.

International criminal law and human rights

From 1996 to 1999, Arbour was chief prosecutor for the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She later served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2004 to 2008 and as the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for international migration from 2017 to 2018.

Governor general of Canada

In 2026, Arbour was appointed governor general of Canada and sworn in on June 8, 2026. She became the 31st person to hold the office and the oldest in Canadian history.

Honours and recognition

Arbour has received major honours including appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada and Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. Her career has been recognized for work in Canadian law, international justice, and human rights.