Carney picks former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour to be governor general

06-May-2026

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Prime Minister Mark Carney has named former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour as Canada's next governor general, picking a francophone with a long legal resumé which includes stints prosecuting war crimes in Rwanda and Yugoslavia and serving as the UN human rights commissioner.

Arbour will serve as the King's representative and the commander-in-chief of Canada's Armed Forces, replacing the retiring Mary Simon, the first Indigenous governor general, whose five-year term is due to end soon.

In announcing the appointment in Ottawa on May 5, Carney said Arbour will be an exemplary "steward of our tradition of peace, order and good government" and the "guardian of our constitutional order."

"Louise Arbour will represent the best of Canada to Canadians and to the world. A country that's a bastion of security, prosperity and justice — a beacon to a world lost at sea. A Canada that is clear-eyed about the challenges we face and steadfast in the values we uphold," he said.