Louise Arbour: A New Era for Canada's Governor General Role

On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the appointment of former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour as the country's next governor general.

Arbour, 79, hails from Montreal and has a storied career, including serving as the United Nations' chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She also served as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. She succeeds Mary Simon, Canada's first Indigenous governor general.

While the role of governor general is primarily ceremonial, it carries weight as the representative of the country's head of state, King Charles. This position includes responsibilities such as swearing in governments, formally signing legislation, and acting as the commander in chief of the military, with the power to summon or dissolve Parliament.

(With inputs from agencies.)