Retired Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour was sworn in Monday as Canada’s new governor general, becoming the official representative of King Charles III in the country.
Arbour, 79, succeeds Mary Simon, who made history in 2021 as Canada’s first Indigenous governor general. The position carries key constitutional responsibilities, although it is largely ceremonial and symbolic.
The installation ceremony included the raising of the Governor General’s Flag on Parliament Hill and a performance of “God Save the King” by the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Prime Minister Mark Carney selected Arbour, a prominent Francophone jurist with an extensive record in international law, human rights and justice.
Throughout her legal career, Arbour served on the Supreme Court of Ontario, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1996, she was appointed chief prosecutor for the United Nations tribunals investigating crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
During her tenure, she oversaw landmark prosecutions, including the first genocide conviction since the adoption of the 1948 Genocide Convention and the first war crimes indictment of a sitting head of state.
Arbour later served as the UN Special Representative for International Migration from 2017 to 2018.
In her inaugural address as governor general, Arbour emphasized the importance of peaceful coexistence and respect for the rule of law in maintaining a stable and democratic society.
She also expressed concern about the growing influence of artificial intelligence, warning that increased reliance on AI could blur the distinction between facts and assumptions and undermine people's ability to control their own future.
Arbour highlighted Canada's global significance, noting that the country contains nearly seven percent of the world's land area and 20 percent of its freshwater resources while accounting for only about half of one percent of the global population.
She said Canada remains a country that attracts admiration around the world.
Ahead of her installation, Arbour met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace last week.
Canada remains a constitutional monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth, with the British monarch serving as the country's head of state.