Chief Justice McLachlin notes with sadness the passing of her colleague the Honourable Constance Glube

Ottawa, 15 February 2016 – The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council, noted with great sadness the recent passing of the Honourable Constance Glube.

“Constance Glube was a leader. In a day when married women were denied careers, she became a respected lawyer. In a day when the number of women judges in Canada could be counted on the fingers on one hand, she earned a reputation as a stellar trial judge and a farsighted and pragmatic Justice of Appeal. At a time when only men served as Chief Justices, she became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and the first woman to hold such an office in Canada. 

It is in her capacity as Chief Justice, and in particular with her work on the Canadian Judicial Council, that I came to know Constance Glube. Chief Justice Glube was not content to focus on justice in Nova Scotia; she took as her cause justice in Canada and beyond. She gave her time and energy unstintingly to the work of the Canadian Judicial Council. In the course of her twenty-two years on the Council, she served on all its major committees. From 2000 to 2003, she chaired the National Committee on Jury Instructions, charged with preparing model jury instructions for use throughout Canada. And as Chair of the Judicial Education Committee for many years, she led the drive to judicial education. If Canada is today regarded as a leader in judicial education, much of the credit goes to Chief Justice Glube.

The Honourable Constance Glube was a woman of vision, and she had the energy to realize that vision. She left the Canadian Justice system richer and more effective than she found it. We are all indebted to her.”

On behalf of all Council members, Chief Justice McLachlin extends her sympathy to the entire Glube Family.

Contact: 
Norman Sabourin
Executive Director and Senior General Counsel
(613) 288-1566 ext 313