Alumna Jennifer Stoddart to receive honorary degree from McGill

The Faculty of Law is pleased to announce that Jennifer Stoddart, BCL’80, former Privacy Commissioner of Canada, will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa at the University’s fall convocation ceremonies on Tuesday, November 10, at Place des Arts.

Jennifer Anne Stoddart’s career in public service is testament to her dedication and commitment to human rights. After earning a Bachelor in Civil Law degree from McGill, she became director and then vice-president, from 1987 to 2000, at the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec. During that time, together with three others, she co-authored L’histoire des femmes au Québec depuis quatre siècles, a seminal book that has become a reference for women’s studies in Canada.

In 1996, she was appointed president of l’Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences. In 2000, she became president of the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec, where she promoted greater transparency for information held by the government. In 2003, she was appointed Privacy Commissioner of Canada. During her term, she worked to ensure compliance with Canada’s privacy laws in an age where personal information is in constant global transit.

In 2011, Jennifer Stoddart was recognized by the Quebec Bar with the Mérite Christine-Tourigny Award of Merit and she was named Advocata emerita.

Jennifer Stoddart is one of the alumni the Faculty has featured in its The Power of a McGill Law BCL/LLB Degree video.