Dear Allard Law Community,
We are saddened by the passing of the Honourable Madam Justice Mary Southin, KC, retired Justice of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia, on September 24, 2025.
Madam Justice Southin broke many barriers for women in law. After graduating from our law school in 1952 and being called to the bar in 1953, she became the first woman in BC to be named Queen's Counsel. She was also the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court of Canada, the first woman to be elected as a bencher in British Columbia, and the first woman in the Commonwealth to head a law society. In addition, she served as the Treasurer of the Law Society – the first woman to do so – and as Editor-in-Chief of the British Columbia Law Reports.
In 1985, Madam Justice Southin was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and in 1988, she was appointed to the BC Court of Appeal, where she served until her retirement in 2006. Her remarkable career as a lawyer and judge spanned more than 50 years.
The Madam Justice Mary Southin Lecture, held alternatingly at the Allard School of Law and the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria, was established in honour of Madam Justice Southin. This annual lecture recognizes and pays tribute to her many contributions to the development of the common law in British Columbia and recognizes two important influences on the legal profession – BC Legal History and the Law of Equity.
Madam Justice Southin will be greatly missed by the Allard Law community and the legal profession.
Ngai Pindell
Dean
Peter A. Allard School of Law
University of British Columbia
