Taryn Meyer (Tabaret Hall)

Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa

In August, 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a new appointment process for theSupreme Court, including an open call for all qualified candidates to come forward. As part ofthis process, on October 25, 2016, Justice Malcolm Rowe went through a period of questioningby a Joint Parliamentary Committee. With pressures from the Canadian constituency to appointa new Justice from a visible minority or the First Nations community, the Prime Ministerremained consistent with the constitutional convention of nominating a new Justice from thepreceding Justice’s geographic region. This event also has significance because of the uniquerole that the Court has as the “supreme arbiter” of the Constitution, as articulated by JusticeMalcolm Rowe. Greater transparency supports the claim that the Constitution, and particularlythe Charter, should be interpreted by the courts with an eye to protecting the rights ofCanadians. The new appointment process helps ensure Canadians that the Prime Minister hasmade the right choice to fulfill this role.

This content has been updated on 21 November 2016 at 13 h 19 min.