OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the Liberal government will change the manner in which a Supreme Court justice is selected.
As part of the new process, Trudeau says former prime minister Kim Campbell will chair a new “independent and non-partisan advisory board” to recommend candidates for the high court.
In a letter published Tuesday in the Globe and Mail, Trudeau writes that the new appointment process will be “open, transparent and will set a higher standard for accountability.”
He said the application process will be opened so any Canadian lawyer or judge who fits such criteria as being functionally bilingual can apply for the high court.
Once a candidate has been selected, writes Trudeau, members of Parliament will be able to “directly engage with the nominee” before she or he is appointed to the Supreme Court.
The board to be chaired by Campbell will have seven members. Four will be designated by the Canadian Judicial Council, the Canadian Bar Association, the Federation of Law Societies and the Council of Canadian Law Deans.
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