Marion Jacko is an Indigenous woman who works in the field of justice. She is from the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. Jacko has devoted her life to law, family, and the community, beginning her journey to become a lawyer while simultaneously raising three children. Marion’s story is an exemplary one for women and young girls looking to make their mark on the world with law as a career. Throughout her career as a lawyer, Marion has worked in Property Rights, Indigenous Justice, and has made quite the name for herself in children’s law, with the notable accomplishment of being appointed as the first indigenous woman to be the Children's Lawyer of Ontario. The Office of the Children’s Lawyer in Ontario is especially crucial in expressing a child’s best interest, which can include cases surrounding child protection, decision-making responsibility, and parenting time in a child’s life. They work with the child to present the best opportunities for them to the court. Within her litigation experience, Jacko and the Office of the Children’s Lawyer dealt with a case which was instrumental in changing the law under the Hague Convention, which aims to protect families and their children against illegal, irregular, premature, or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. In this case, the Court adopted the “hybrid approach” to determining habitual residence having regard to “the entirety of the child’s situation”. This ensured a more squarely focused approach toward the child(ren) at the heart of the case, making children’s right to be heard even more powerful. Outside of her career, Marion is also extremely dedicated to the community,
Marion Jacko: A Biography By Emma Pont especially through her work in minor league hockey. Marion was the president of the Mississauga Girls Hockey Organization following her many years of coaching experience within the organization, assisting and shaping young girls into well-balanced, hardworking women through sport. Continuing her work in hockey, Jacko is also the president of the Little Native Hockey League, which runs a tournament for Indigenous hockey teams in Ontario. Marion has dedicated herself to assisting in the upbringing of youth in the Greater Toronto Area. She has become an excellent role model for not only young women, but also for Indigenous children. Works Cited “What is the Hague Convention?”. Government of Canada, 29 September 2021, https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp? qnum=1183&top=2 Giannandrea, Stephanie and Robinson, Jonathan. “Interview with Ms. Marion Jacko, the Children’s Lawyer of Ontario”. Ontario Family Law Reporter, Mccarthy, Martha and Radboard, Joanna, Volume 32, Number 5, Lexis Nexis, November 2018, https://www.complexfamilylaw.com/wpcontent/uploads/migrations/3156945/Interview-with-MsMarian-Jacko-the-Childrens-Lawyer-of-Ontario.pdf Laskaris, Sam. “The Little NHL executive committee welcomes new president”. Anishinabek News, 10 December 2018, http://anishinabeknews.ca/2018/12/10/the-little-nhlexecutive-committee-welcomes-new-president/#
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