Rosalie Silberman Abella

Laureate Profile

One of Canada’s best known and most respected legal minds, Madame Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella has served on the Ontario Court of Appeal since 1992. She headed a commission to address the plight of women, Aboriginal people, the disabled, and other minorities in the workplace. She coined the term “employment equity” and set out strategies for protecting the rights of minority employees. Justice Abella has spoken of the need for constant vigilance against intolerance, and has cautioned that if one minority is at risk, all are at risk.