MINISTER OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA

OTTAWA – May 28, 2008  –  The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the selection process to fill the vacancy at the Supreme Court of Canada as a result of the departure of the Honourable Mr. Justice Michel Bastarache.

The process will be as follows:

• To identify a pool of qualified candidates for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General will consult with the Attorneys General of the four Atlantic provinces as well as leading members of the legal community. Members of the public are invited to submit their input with respect to qualified candidates who merit consideration at www.justice.gc.ca/eng/scc-csc.html.
• The list of qualified candidates will be reviewed by a selection panel composed of five Members of Parliament – including two Members from the Government Caucus and one Member from each of the recognized Opposition Caucuses, as selected by their respective leaders. The Supreme Court Selection Panel will be responsible to assess the candidates and provide an unranked short list of three qualified candidates to the Prime Minister of Canada and the Minister of Justice for their consideration.
• The nominee will appear at a public hearing of an ad hoc parliamentary committee, a process that was first established for the appointment of the Honourable Mr. Justice Marshall E. Rothstein in 2006.

“I believe that empowering parliamentarians helps promote greater transparency in the selection process for the Supreme Court of Canada.” said Minister Nicholson. “I look forward to working with my provincial counterparts, the legal community and most importantly, my fellow parliamentarians in fulfilling this important task.”

The authority to make Supreme Court appointments is constitutionally vested in the Governor in Council. The role of the ad hoc parliamentary committee aims at enhancing the transparency of the appointments process and promoting public understanding of the individual nominee and the role of the Court.

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For more information:

• Darren Eke
  Press Secretary
  Office of the Minister of Justice
  613-992-4621