Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 19, 2022
• Invested on: October 26, 2023

The Honourable Anne Helen Russell, C.M., Q.C.
Victoria, British Columbia

Anne Russell is a champion of individual rights and freedoms. A retired Alberta judge who served on all three courts in the province and on the Courts of Appeal in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, she pioneered legislative reforms that forever changed the law books. Her precedent-setting judgment in Vriend v. Alberta wrote same-sex orientation into Alberta human rights legislation, which helped establish 2SLGBTQ2I+ rights across Canada. A revered mentor, she is also recognized for drafting laws that have enhanced children’s rights and protections.