The Centre is pleased to welcome the The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin PC, CC, CStJ, FCIArb to its Board of Directors. Ms. McLachlin delivered the Annual Pluralism Lecture in 2015. Speaking on tolerance in the modern era, she said: “To live harmoniously in a diverse, pluralistic society demands great generosity of spirit and openness of mind, a willingness to accept difference and indeed to celebrate it.”

Ms. McLachlin served as Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 to 2017. She is the first and only woman to be Chief Justice of Canada and was also Canada’s longest serving Chief Justice, building experience and skill in leading and consensus-building for many years as the head of a diverse nine-member court.

Throughout her judicial career, Ms. McLachlin has been involved with countless areas of the Canadian legal system, both common law and civil law, and both private and public law, in English and French. In 2018 Ms. McLachlin was appointed to the Order of Canada as a recipient of its highest accolade, Companion of the Order of Canada. She has received over 35 honorary degrees from universities in Canada and abroad, and numerous other honours and awards. She holds a B.A (Honours) in Philosophy, and M.A in Philosophy and an LL.B from the University of Alberta.

Ms. McLachlin is a Member Arbitrator at Arbitration Place and works as an arbitrator and mediator in Canada and internationally. She sits as a Justice of Singapore’s International Commercial Court and the Hong Kong Final Court of Appeal.