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Rosalie Silberman Abella
Rosalie Silberman Abella, FRSC, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada 2004–21, justice of the Ontario Family Court 1976–92, justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal 1992–2004, lawyer (born 1 July 1946 in Stuttgart, Germany). Rosalie Silberman Abella is the first Jewish woman and the first former refugee to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. She was also both the youngest person and the first pregnant person to become a judge in Canada. Abella served as a justice on the Supreme Court from 2004 until 2021. She is best known for her advocacy for employment equity, for determining the legal context that bars employment discrimination, and for extending survivor benefits to same-sex couples. She has received 40 honorary degrees and has been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.