The Honourable Michelle O’Bonsawin
The Honourable Michelle O’Bonsawin
KEYNOTE: The Honourable Michelle O’Bonsawin was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on September 1, 2022, following five years as a Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. An Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation and a fluent bilingual Franco-Ontarian from Hanmer, Ontario, she brings extensive expertise in Indigenous, mental health, and human rights law. Before her judicial appointments, she served as General Counsel for the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, where she focused on forensic mental health and Gladue principles. Her legal career also includes roles with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Post. Justice O’Bonsawin has taught Indigenous law at the University of Ottawa and is a published author on topics including access to justice, mental health, and Indigenous legal issues. She holds degrees from Laurentian University, the University of Ottawa, Osgoode Hall, and a Doctorate in Law, and has received honorary doctorates from Bishop’s and Laurentian Universities. She currently serves as co-president of the International Association of Indigenous Judges and is active in several legal and judicial organisations in Canada and internationally.
His Honour Judge Heemi Taumaunu
PANELIST: His Honour Judge Heemi Taumaunu was appointed Chief District Court Judge in 2019, becoming the first Māori to hold the role. He leads a bench of over 170 judges and 18 community magistrates. Of Ngāti Pōrou (Ngāti Konohi) and Ngāi Tahu descent, and fluent in te reo Māori, Judge Taumaunu was raised in Gisborne and studied law at Victoria University, receiving both the Quentin Baxter Memorial and Ngā Rangatahi Toa Scholarships. He was the first from Ngāti Konohi to become a lawyer and was appointed to the District Court in 2004 after practising law in Gisborne and serving in the New Zealand Army. A pioneer of culturally responsive justice, he led the development of Ngā Kōti Rangatahi o Aotearoa (Rangatahi Courts) and received the international Veillard-Cybulski Award in 2017 for his work. Judge Taumaunu has also served in the Court Martial of New Zealand since 2012, including roles as Deputy Judge Advocate General and Deputy Chief Judge.
Justice Lincoln Crowley
PANELIST: The Honourable Justice Lincoln Crowley is a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the first Indigenous person appointed to a superior court in Australia. Justice Crowley holds a Bachelor of Laws from James Cook University, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Queensland University of Technology. Justice Crowley began his legal career as a solicitor with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, later working as a senior solicitor with the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office and as in-house Counsel with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. Before his appointment to the bench, he practised for many years as a barrister, specialising in criminal and public law, and in 2018 became the first Indigenous person appointed Queen’s Counsel in Queensland. Justice Crowley brings his significant experience in criminal law and public law to this conference, contributing to discussions on Indigenous representation and leadership in the judiciary.
Justice Gerald Morin
PANELIST: Justice Gerald Morin IPC, OC, KC is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, born and raised in Cumberland House with deep ancestral ties to Reindeer Lake, Southend, and Pelican Narrows. He began his career in the justice system in 1973 as a probation officer and later earned his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1987. He practised law in Prince Albert until his appointment to the Saskatchewan Provincial Court in 2001, where he served until his retirement in 2019 (with full retirement in 2023). He is the founder of the Cree Court in Pelican Narrows and continues to serve as a Deputy Judge in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Justice Morin is a passionate advocate for Indigenous justice and education, having established the Wanushwew Lecture on Aboriginal Law at the University of Saskatchewan, which brings Indigenous legal voices to the forefront. His contributions have been widely recognised, including appointments as King’s Counsel (1999), Officer of the Order of Canada (2022), and Indigenous People’s Counsel (2023).