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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 196

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 12, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 196 - May/12/23
Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)
  • May/12/23 11:54:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are 85 empty judges' seats in federal courts, and this is resulting in “stays of proceedings” against criminals. That is the warning of Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner in a letter obtained by CBC. Liberal ministers must answer for those delays, because they always interfered in the appointment process. They filter candidates based on data from Elections Canada to find good Liberal donors. They consult other Liberals to find out who is part of the family. When will they stop wasting their time with partisanship? When will they appoint the missing judges based on their qualifications?
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Context: House Hansard - 196 - May/12/23
Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)
  • May/12/23 11:54:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government has appointed more than 600 judges since November 2015. We appoint judges to the bench more efficiently than any other government, yet we know it is still not enough. We are working to fulfill vacancies in various provinces. We spoke with members of the judiciary, as well as the bar, to encourage more people to apply to the bench. We will continue to make appointments at a steady rate, and the number of vacancies will continue to decline.
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Context: House Hansard - 196 - May/12/23
Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)
  • May/12/23 11:55:30 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the delays in judicial appointments remind us of that coincidence in 2019. By the end of the process, out of six judges appointed in New Brunswick, five had personal connections to the current Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. There were three of his donors, his brother-in-law's wife and his neighbour. Obviously it is harder to appoint judges these days. People can no longer count on the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. He has already made his contribution. My question is this: Would justice not be better served by an impartial, independent process held far from ministers and based strictly on merit?
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Context: House Hansard - 196 - May/12/23
Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)
  • May/12/23 11:56:07 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that the appointments are non-partisan and independent. It is very important because we are a country of rule of law. I think that everyone here agrees on that. It is also a priority of ours for the bench to be representative of the population. We will work with the justice system. We will also work with the different representatives in society. The current Minister of Justice has appointed more judges than any other justice minister in the history of Canada. It is a priority and will continue to be.
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