Margaret Somerville
Encyclopedia
Margaret Anne Ganley Somerville, AM
, FRSC
(born April 13, 1942) is a conservative Australia
n/Canadian
ethicist
and academic
. She is the Samuel Gale Professor of Law, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine
and the Founding Director of the Faculty of Law
's Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University
.
, South Australia
, and received a A.u.A. (pharm.) from the University of Adelaide
in 1963, a Bachelor of Law degree (Hons. I) from the University of Sydney
in 1973, and a D.C.L. from McGill University
in 1978.
From 1963 to 1969, she was a registered pharmacist
in South Australia, Victoria
, New Zealand
, and New South Wales
. After returning to University and receiving her law degree she became an attorney for a Sydney, Australia law firm, Mallesons (as it then was) (formerly Stephen, Jacques and Stephen; now Mallesons Stephen Jaques
) from 1974 to 1975.
In 1978, Somerville was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at McGill University. She was appointed an Associate Professor in 1979 and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine in 1980. In 1984, she became a Full Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and in 1989 was appointed the Samuel Gale Professor of Law. From 1986 to 1996, she was the founding Director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law and was appointed acting Director in 1999. She currently teaches a seminar on Advanced Torts at McGill University.
In November 2006, she gave the annual Massey Lectures
on CBC Radio
in Canada
. The five lectures were published in book form as The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit.
"for service to the law and to bioethics". http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=882353&search_type=quick&showInd=trueIn 1991, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
. In 2004, she was awarded UNESCO
's Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=20029&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
She has received honorary degrees from University of Windsor
(1992), Macquarie University
(1993), and St. Francis Xavier University
(1996). Her most recent honorary degree awarded June 19, 2006 at Ryerson University
in Toronto
was controversial because of her objections to same sex marriage.
In 2006, Somerville was nominated for membership in the Order of Canada
by Carol Finlay, a professor at the Toronto School of Theology
. Finlay says Somerville was turned down for the honour because she is "too controversial."
Iowa's Polk County District Court rejected Somerville's testimony concerning the purported social effects of recognizing same-sex marriages. Judge Robert Hanson rejected the expert testimony of Dr. Somerville and stated that her testimony would be inadmissible at trial, on the basis that her opinions were "not based on observation supported by scientific methodology or... on empirical research in any sense."
The above ruling was overturned on appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, the seven appeal judges unanimously ruling that Judge Hanson was in error in excluding the expert testimony, including that of Somerville.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(born April 13, 1942) is a conservative Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n/Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ethicist
Ethicist
An ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgement...
and academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
. She is the Samuel Gale Professor of Law, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine
McGill University Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University. It was established in 1823 as the Montreal Medical Institution, and became the first faculty of McGill College in 1829; it was the first medical faculty to be established in Canada....
and the Founding Director of the Faculty of Law
McGill University Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law is a constituent faculty of McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec. Its graduates obtain both a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law , concurrently, in three to four years, allowing them to practice in both the Canadian, U.S...
's Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
Biography
Somerville was born in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and received a A.u.A. (pharm.) from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
in 1963, a Bachelor of Law degree (Hons. I) from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
in 1973, and a D.C.L. from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1978.
From 1963 to 1969, she was a registered pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in South Australia, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. After returning to University and receiving her law degree she became an attorney for a Sydney, Australia law firm, Mallesons (as it then was) (formerly Stephen, Jacques and Stephen; now Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Mallesons Stephen Jaques is a commercial law firm that operates in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the 30 largest law firms in Australia, and is widely regarded as one of the top commercial law firms in Australia.-Offices:...
) from 1974 to 1975.
In 1978, Somerville was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at McGill University. She was appointed an Associate Professor in 1979 and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine in 1980. In 1984, she became a Full Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and in 1989 was appointed the Samuel Gale Professor of Law. From 1986 to 1996, she was the founding Director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law and was appointed acting Director in 1999. She currently teaches a seminar on Advanced Torts at McGill University.
In November 2006, she gave the annual Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The five lectures were published in book form as The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit.
Honours
In 1990, she was made a Member of the Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
"for service to the law and to bioethics". http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=882353&search_type=quick&showInd=trueIn 1991, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
. In 2004, she was awarded UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=20029&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
She has received honorary degrees from University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
(1992), Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
(1993), and St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
(1996). Her most recent honorary degree awarded June 19, 2006 at Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
was controversial because of her objections to same sex marriage.
In 2006, Somerville was nominated for membership in the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
by Carol Finlay, a professor at the Toronto School of Theology
Toronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
. Finlay says Somerville was turned down for the honour because she is "too controversial."
Criticism
In Varnum v. BrienVarnum v. Brien
Varnum v. Brien, 763 N.W.2d 862 , is an Iowa court case in which six same-sex couples filed suit against Timothy Brien, Polk County Recorder, for refusing to grant marriage licenses to them...
Iowa's Polk County District Court rejected Somerville's testimony concerning the purported social effects of recognizing same-sex marriages. Judge Robert Hanson rejected the expert testimony of Dr. Somerville and stated that her testimony would be inadmissible at trial, on the basis that her opinions were "not based on observation supported by scientific methodology or... on empirical research in any sense."
The above ruling was overturned on appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, the seven appeal judges unanimously ruling that Judge Hanson was in error in excluding the expert testimony, including that of Somerville.
Selected bibliography
- The Ethical Canary: Science, Society, and the Human Spirit (2000, ISBN 0-670-89302-1)
- Death Talk: The Case Against Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide (2001, ISBN 0-7735-2201-8)
- The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit (2006, ISBN 0-88784-747-1)
- Do We Care? (May 26, 1999) ISBN 0773518789