Alumna the Hon. Anne Russell, KC, appointed member of the Order of Canada

A University of Alberta Faculty of Law alumna has received one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. 

The retired Justice Anne Russell, ‘63 LLB, was appointed a member of the Order of Canada earlier this summer. Russell was one of 85 new appointments announced by Governor General Mary Simon at the end of June.

“I was flabbergasted by news of the appointment and was rendered speechless momentarily because it was such a surprise,” says Russell. “But I am deeply honoured to be included in such illustrious company at this late stage of my life. It is another reason to be grateful for the opportunities the law degree from the U of A has provided throughout my life.”

The Order of Canada honours people who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation. In the case of Russell, she was selected for “her contributions to the Canadian legal system as a lawyer and judge, and for her mentorship of the next generation of lawyers,” according to the Governor General’s website. 

Russell was one of a select few Alberta judges to serve on all three courts in the province. She was appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta in 1984, to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 1992 and to the Court of Appeal in 1994, where she served until her retirement in 2006. 

Part of her lasting legacy – and perhaps the best-known judgment of her career – was the 1994 case of Vriend vs. Alberta. Russell presided over the controversial case, which involved the dismissal of a teacher because of his sexual orientation..

Russell found in favour of Vriend, ruling that the exclusion of sexual orientation as a protected ground of discrimination from the Individual’s Rights Protection Act was in violation of the Charter. Her ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal, but was later upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1998. 

To this day, Vriend vs. Alberta is considered a landmark case that changed LGBTQ2+ rights in the province.