Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
Justice Harry LaForme sits on the Ontario Court of Appeal. As a Mississauga Indian and a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation, LaForme is the first Aboriginal person in the history of Canada to be appointed to sit on any appellate court. A graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School, Justice Laforme commenced his own practice, specializing in Aboriginal law. He has appeared before each level of Court and represented Canadian Aboriginal interests in Geneva, Switzerland; New Zealand; and British Parliament. Justice LaForme served as Commissioner of the Indian Commission of Ontario, as Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Land Claims, as Co-Chair on the independent National Chiefs Task Force on Native Land Claims. Justice Laforme has received many honours throughout his career, including the 1997 National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the area of Law and Justice. On three occasions, Aboriginal elders have presented him with an Eagle Feather, symbolizing the virtues of honesty, integrity and respect.