Rosalie Abella gets the big-screen treatment spotlighting a life dedicated to justice

A new documentary is giving viewers unprecedented access to the unconventional life of the Hon. Rosalie Abella, the first Jewish woman—and first refugee—to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The film, Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella, had its world premiere this week at Toronto’s Hot Docs film festival. The film follows Abella, a child of Holocaust survivors, during the final months of her 17-year-long tenure on Canada’s highest court. She retired in 2021, when she turned 75. Over the years, she has been credited with seminal social-justice court rulings, paving the way for same-sex marriage in Canada; advocating for women’s workplace rights; ensuring job opportunities for minorities; and enshrining the right to strike. The film follows some of these cases while also diving into Abella’s fierce work ethic and her courage to take unpopular positions on public policy. We also see her private side, including a home and office where every surface is covered in colourful pop art, collectibles and figurines. Abella originally did not want to have a film made about her life, but her late husband Irving Abella—who died during filming—convinced his wife it would be a good idea. Abella wasn’t giving media interviews before the premiere, so we sat down with the documentary’s director, Barry Avrich, just ahead of the film’s weeklong festival run.

What we talked about

• Watch Without Precedent at Hot Docs or online
• Read past coverage of Abella in the pages of The CJN here and here
• Learn about the late Abraham Lieff, the first Jewish judge on Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice (and CJN Daily host Ellin Bessner’s grandfather), in The CJN
• Vote for Maya Gamzu in Canada’s Got Talent here

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.