Beverley McLachlin

As a judge, Beverley McLachlin is known for her unique ability to stand up for the values and beliefs that reflect the best of Canadaand Canadians. As chief justice, she led the way to assisted suicide legislation, greater recognition of aboriginal rights and title, safe injection sites for drug users and many other changes that have had a dramatic impact on Canadian life. Less well known is how she encouraged collegiality within the Supreme Court and led Canadian judges to pay closer attention to real-world information about the issues they are considering.

Her defence of the independence of the court and her own personal integrity when she was attacked by Stephen Harper — an incident discussed and documented in this book — underline her strength of character and integrity.

This book sketches Beverley McLachlin's experiences growing up in rural Alberta, attending university, becoming a lawyer and then a judge. At a time when governments were seeking qualified women for senior positions in Canada's courts, she was selected by politicians, both Liberal and Conservative, to fill progressively higher positions. As leading Canadian writers on the role of the judiciary in Canada, Ian Greene and Peter McCormick offer readers a balanced, informed perspective on her time on the Supreme Court — a role that was remarkable for her prodigious work and the clarity of her decisions.