Judicial Appointments
Judicial Biography: Justice Michael J. Moldaver
Post 3/9 in TheCourt.ca's Judicial Biography Series (Fall 2019). If we were to ask what it is we expect from our criminal justice system there are four thoughts that come to mind. … First, I want a justice system that delivers quality justice in a timely and efficient fashion. … Second, I want a justice […]
Judges are Human Too: Introducing TheCourt.ca’s Judicial Biography Series
Canadians can take pride in our relatively depoliticized and merit-based judicial appointment process and in the high calibre of judges who continue to make up our final court of appeal. Yet it would also be fallacious to assume that our top jurists do not approach their work with philosophies that have been shaped by their professional and judicial experiences.
Tone at the Top: Welcoming Chief Justice Wagner
You would be forgiven, said Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella at Chief Justice Richard Wagner’s swearing-in ceremony, for forgetting that it is possible for men to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”). A female justice has overseen the SCC for so long that it is tempting to consider male leadership a […]
Selecting the New Chief Justice
On December 15th, 2017, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, will retire after a long and historic career. Along with the task of selecting a new Supreme Court Justice to fill the vacancy, the Prime Minister will be required to appoint McLachlin’s successor as the new Chief Justice. This […]
Justice Malcolm Rowe: An Introduction
On Monday, October 17th, Prime Minister Trudeau announced his first nominee to the Supreme Court of Canada: Justice Malcolm Rowe. Set to fill the seat of Justice Cromwell who retired from the Court in September, Justice Rowe—provided his nomination succeeds—will become the first appointee from Newfoundland and Labrador. To add to historic firsts, Justice Rowe […]
The Retirement of Justice Thomas Cromwell
Approximately one month after the sudden passing of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia rocked the US political landscape, the newly-elected Canadian government will soon face a challenge of its own in replacing a Canadian Supreme Court titan in just a few months’ time. On March 22, 2016, Executive Legal Officer Gib Van Ert released […]
On Russell Brown's Appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada
Today marks Justice Russell Brown's official welcoming ceremony (you can watch the ceremony online here), and yet, I highly doubt Justice Brown feels welcome. His appointment has caused a flurry—no, a torrent—of public disapproval, online frustration on the politicization of the judiciary, and think-pieces on the demise of the Supreme Court of Canada ("SCC"). Some […]