Wilson-Raybould, former PM Kim Campbell defend new process for top court
OTTAWA — Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says the Liberal government is going to stick with the selection process that led to the nomination of Newfoundland and Labrador justice Malcolm Rowe to the Supreme Court of Canada.
“A modern, dynamic, 21st-century court needed a modern, dynamic, 21st-century selection process,” Wilson-Raybould said Monday as she defended the new selection process during an appearance before the House of Commons justice committee.
The Liberal government revealed changes to the way it would appoint Supreme Court justices in August, saying it wanted to bring more openness and transparency to the process, while also encouraging more diversity and requiring functional bilingualism among judges on the high court.
It was also the first time that Canadians were invited to apply for the job.