Jennifer Button

Ms. Button, now an international justice and governance consultant, was formerly constitutional legal counsel with the Government of British Columbia where she served for over 25 years. During her tenure with the Ministry of Justice, her primary responsibility was as one of two constitutional solicitors for the Province, advising senior officials on division of powers and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms issues. In the course of her government career, she also provided legal and policy advice on such diverse matters as environmental law, gender issues, human rights law, judicial independence, rule of law, and intellectual property. Since retiring from government, she has built an impressive international consulting portfolio. Her international work has included training Supreme Court Justices in Somaliland on constitutional law; preparing reports on judicial independence and vulnerable groups in criminal justice systems for the Commonwealth Secretariat; serving as an International Gender Expert for the UNDP in Belarus; and working as a Visiting Professional with the International Criminal Court’s Trust Fund for Victims. She has also contributed research on the “Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers” for National Defence Canada’s Dallaire Centre of Excellence in Peace and Security. Ms. Button holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria and a Master of Arts from Memorial University and is a key executive member of the Canadian International Council, Victoria Branch. Her breadth of international rule of law experience and commitment to justice reform make her a natural fit for the JES Board.