The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will welcome one of the world’s foremost legal minds, Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, for a special conversation on February 12.
A champion of human rights, Justice Abella made history as the first refugee and first Jewish woman to serve on Canada’s highest court. She has shaped major decisions on civil rights, employment equity, disability rights, and racial and gender justice.
The talk, hosted by the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series and the William S. Richardson School of Law, will focus on judicial independence and the role of law in uncertain times. Former UH law school dean Avi Soifer, a constitutional law expert, will moderate the discussion.
“We are looking forward to this timely visit,” Soifer said. “There is no greater authority on judicial independence and human rights, and we are keen to hear her insights.”
Compassionate service
Justice Abella, who received the 2023 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medal of Honor, has long argued that law must serve humanity. “Too often, law and justice are in a dysfunctional relationship,” Abella said. “We need to put compassion back in the service of law and law in the service of humanity. We need the rule of justice, not just the rule of law.”
Born in a displaced persons camp in Germany in 1946, Justice Abella immigrated to Canada as a child. At 29, she became the youngest and first pregnant judge in Canadian history. Her groundbreaking career has earned her 42 honorary degrees and membership in prestigious institutions like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Her life and work were recently featured in the PBS documentary “Without Precedence.”
Free admission
The event will be held at the law school, Classroom 2, at 6:30 p.m. An informal reception with tea and cookies will follow. Admission is free and attendees are encouraged to RSVP on Eventbrite or the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series website.
This program is presented as part of the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, a collaborative initiative of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, UH Foundation, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu.
Series sponsors also include the William S. Richardson School of Law, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Halekulani Hotel and the UH Fund for the Promotion of Jewish Life and Studies.
