judicial appointments
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Mainville Appointment and Historical Interpretation: Reference re Section 98 of the Constitution Act, 1867
Rocco Galati’s streak of successful judicial appointment challenges has come to an end. The Quebec Court of Appeal’s (“QCCA”) decision in Reference re Section 98 of the Constitution Act, 1867, 2014 QCCA 2365, allowed Justice Mainville’s appointment to the Quebec Court of Appeal. Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati had challenged this appointment, using the momentum from […]