Four Premiers Urge Judicial Appointment Reform

Four premiers from across Canada have urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to reform the federal judicial appointment process, calling for provinces to play a greater role in selecting superior court and appeals court judges. In a joint letter sent this week, the leaders of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec proposed that Ottawa appoint judges only from candidates recommended and approved by their provincial governments, aiming to better reflect regional needs and strengthen cooperative federalism.

The letter, signed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Quebec Premier François Legault, emphasized the need for a collaborative approach. "It is crucial that the selection of superior court judges result from diligent, rigorous and ethical processes, guaranteeing its independent and nonpartisan nature," the premiers wrote. "And it is equally crucial that provincial governments have a substantive role in selection processes of judges of their superior courts to respect the federalism principle." They also requested equal access for provinces and the federal government to information on all assessed candidates, noting that...