Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Inspiring Stories of Women Leaders

This is the third post in my series exploring and sharing success stories of women who have shattered glass ceilings in various industries. The purpose of this series is the highlight their journey, challenges they overcame, and impact they have had on paving the way for other women in the workplace. Read my piece on Clara Brett Martin, here. 

Beverly McLachlin

One cannot discuss women who have broken glass ceilings without mentioning the obvious – the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin. Beverley was the Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 until her retirement in 2017.

Beverley was born and raised in the small town of Pincher Creek, Alberta. She obtained her law degree from the University of Alberta (my own alma mater) and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1969 and to the British Columbia Bar in 1971. In 1974, she was appointed an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia where she taught for seven years.

Beverley’s judicial career began in April 1981 when she was appointed to the Vancouver County Court. In September 1981, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. She was elevated to the British Columbia Court of Appeal in December 1985 and was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in September 1988. Seven months later, in April 1989, she was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. On January 7, 2000, she was appointed Chief Justice of Canada.

Given her expansive career, it would be near impossible to summarize all her accomplishments and legal contributions in a short blog post. Below is only a brief summary of how Beverley has pioneered the way for women, both inside and outside of the legal industry.

Beverley was the first woman in Canada to hold the role of Chief Justice of Canada. Until she stepped down in 2017, Beverley was the 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history.

Beverley also served as Deputy of the Governor General of Canada at various times, as well as the role of Administrator of Canada.  In that latter role, she gave Royal Assent to the federal Civil Marriage Act, which effectively legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.

Under her leadership, the Supreme Court expanded on fundamental protections under section 7 of the Charter and championed Indigenous rights. The Court gradually developed and entrenched the notion that governments must consult and accommodate Indigenous people prior to making decisions that could affect unproven rights and title claims. In 2014, McLachlin authored the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia. The landmark ruling clarified the requirements for establishing Aboriginal title: that an Indigenous nation must first prove occupation, and then must prove continuity and exclusivity of that occupation.

In July 2018, McLachlin began a three-year term as a non-permanent judge on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. She was the first Canadian jurist nominated to the post.

She has been awarded over 30 honorary degrees from various universities.

The list could go on, but even from a brief snapshot of her career, it is clear Beverley’s legacy of law and leadership will benefit generations of women to come.

About the Author

Jaeda Lee is a LiL Leader and an associate at Harper Grey LLP practicing in insurance law. An avid volunteer, Jaeda gives much of her time to the ACTS Water Charity, an organization focused on providing clean, accessible water to those who need it most.