Beverley
McLachlin
Beverley McLachlin was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2000 to 2017. She is the first woman to hold that position and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. Previously, she had served on the County Court of Vancouver, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal. In 2018, McLachlin became a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour within the Order. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, was a national bestseller. McLachlin lives in Ottawa.
Videos
Former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin on her award-nominated book, Truth Be Told
Award History
2019 Winner
Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writingfor Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law
Jury Citation
"Beverley McLachlin is an exceptional woman, and her memoirs are an exceptional book. Marked by a storyteller’s sure touch, they trace McLachlin’s path from small-town girl in Pincher Creek, Alberta to pioneer woman lawyer to first woman chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. These memoirs – the first by a Canadian Supreme Court justice – offer a unique and tantalizing glimpse of the Court’s personal dynamics and its operations as it tackled the legal issues that have defined modern Canada, including same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of law and politics in Canada." —2019 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Jury (Greg Donaghy, Althia Raj, and Paula Simons)
