The Globe and Mail says the Liberal government has confirmed it will overhaul the way Canada picks Supreme Court justices.
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On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the application process to become a Supreme Court justice will be open so that any qualified bilingual Canadian lawyer or judge can apply.
“I am disappointed that the convention related to regionalism will no longer be followed”, Parsons said in a statement.
“The fact that there is no longer a guarantee that there will be a justice from Atlantic Canada is concerning particularly since we live in a country that is noted for its diversity”. The nine-member USA high court has had a vacancy since the death of a justice in February because the Republican-led Senate has refused to take any action on Democratic President Barack Obama’s nominee to the position.
The federal Opposition Conservatives also voiced concerns over Cromwell’s replacement.
Interested Canadian lawyers or judges, who meet the qualifications and are “functionally bilingual”, will be able to apply for a position on the Supreme Court scheduled to open September 1 with the retirement of Justice Thomas Cromwell. The questionnaire administered to candidates will also be made public.
Citing Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, he added: “If we are to fully meet the challenges of judging in a diverse society, we must work toward a bench that better mirrors the people it judges”.
Supreme Court justices in Canada are picked by the prime minister.
Schulich School of Law Dean Camille Cameron has been appointed to a new seven-member advisory board that will be tasked with recommending Canada’s next Supreme Court justice.
The change is similar to one the Liberals brought in months ago to appoint senators. The eventual nominee will appear in a question-and-answer session moderated by a law professor before legislators from all parties. A public skirmish between the prime minister’s office and the top justice and a rare Supreme Court ruling rejecting Nadon’s candidacy undermined public confidence in the system that named him.
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During an interview with CBC’s Power & Politics, federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said regional representation will be kept in mind during the selection process.
