Louise Otis

Louise Otis is a passionate and visionary mediator, arbitrator, and judge whose work has had a remarkable international impact. Among her many achievements, she created one of the first integrated judicial mediation programs, now a global reference in the field. She also helped create the facilitator program for criminal proceedings used in Québec.

Louise Otis began her career as a lawyer in 1975, practicing labour law and administrative law until she was appointed to the bench of the Superior Court of Québec in 1990. Three years later she was named to the bench of the Court of Appeal of Québec, where she served until 2009. During her time on the bench she delivered over 3,000 rulings in civil, commercial, administrative, and criminal cases. Currently an arbitrator and mediator in civil and commercial law, she also serves as president of the Administrative Tribunal of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and president of the administrative tribunal of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

Throughout her career Louise Otis has also helped institute judicial reforms in various countries and revise the internal administrative justice systems of major international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. An adjunct professor with McGill University's Faculty of Law and a distinguished fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, Louise Otis takes part in symposiums and international missions on a regular basis. She has received numerous honours in recognition of her contributions and initiatives in the field of law. In 2016, she was made a Grande Officière of the Ordre national du Québec (G.O.Q.) after being named an Officier of the Ordre du Canada (O.C.) in 2015.

Driven by the conviction that humans prefer agreement to conflict, Louise Otis has pioneered the use of mediation in dispute resolution. Her international stature, extraordinary generosity, and commitment to promoting the law and making justice more accessible have made her an inspiration for today's youth, particularly young women.