Toews blasted for plan to give police a say in selecting judges: Knowledge Driven Revolution

The Conservatives said Friday they are proceeding with a controversial plan to give police a voice in screening judicial contenders to the federally appointed bench.

Justice Minister Vic Toews confirmed his plans in a news release shortly after Canada’s lawyers joined a growing chorus of protest that the move could politicize the judiciary by “stacking the deck” in the judicial selection process.

In an unprecedented development Thursday, Canada’s chief justice, Beverley McLachlin, and other senior judges slammed Toews for failing to consult with anyone before announcing reforms to the process for appointing federal judges.

“We call upon the minister to initiate an immediate process of consultation on the proposed changes with the judiciary, the Canadian Bar Association and Law Societies, and other interested persons,” Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said in a statement released late Thursday by the Canadian Judicial Council.

Toews, in his statement, ignored the rebuke, saying only the government is pleased to bring police onboard by appointing a member of the law enforcement community in each province to advisory committees that screen candidates for the 1,100-member federally appointed bench.

“The voices of police are critical in our legal system, but they have never been represented in this process,” Toews said.

The president of the Canadian Bar Association, Parker MacCarthy, accused Toews of politicizing the process and Louise Botham, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, said: “it is disturbing to say the least” that the Conservatives are giving a formal voice to a special interest group whose members are ideologically on the same page as the government and are often before the courts fighting for police powers.

“The credibility of the entire judicial appointment process is at risk,” said MacCarthy, whose 37,000-member organization issued a stinging news release. “Any steps that could affect the independence, impartiality and objectivity of the judicial appointment process require full-scale consultation across the entire spectrum of the justice system.”

Judicial Advisory Committees in each province were created in 1988, in part to combat a growing perception that federal judgeships are patronage plums.

The committees each consist of seven panelists, including members of the legal community, the judiciary, and the community at large.

Toews is responsible for three “at large” appointments and his planned changes will increase that number to four, giving him more discretion over committee members.

Although Toews has the final say on judicial appointments, the committees advise him on suitable candidates. It’s a system that leaves wide latitude for the minister to pick from a large pool of contenders.

Federally appointed judges sit on superior courts and courts of appeal in each province, as well as the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada, and the Court Martial Appeal Court.

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HOME Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	Toews blasted for plan to give police a say in selecting judges Janice Tibbetts - CanWest News Service via StopLying.ca November 13, 2006 The Conservatives said Friday they are proceeding with a controversial plan to give police a voice in screening judicial contenders to the federally appointed bench. Justice Minister Vic Toews confirmed his plans in a news release shortly after Canada’s lawyers joined a growing chorus of protest that the move could politicize the judiciary by “stacking the deck” in the judicial selection process. In an unprecedented development Thursday, Canada’s chief justice, Beverley McLachlin, and other senior judges slammed Toews for failing to consult with anyone before announcing reforms to the process for appointing federal judges. “We call upon the minister to initiate an immediate process of consultation on the proposed changes with the judiciary, the Canadian Bar Association and Law Societies, and other interested persons,” Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said in a statement released late Thursday by the Canadian Judicial Council. Toews, in his statement, ignored the rebuke, saying only the government is pleased to bring police onboard by appointing a member of the law enforcement community in each province to advisory committees that screen candidates for the 1,100-member federally appointed bench. “The voices of police are critical in our legal system, but they have never been represented in this process,” Toews said. The president of the Canadian Bar Association, Parker MacCarthy, accused Toews of politicizing the process and Louise Botham, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, said: “it is disturbing to say the least” that the Conservatives are giving a formal voice to a special interest group whose members are ideologically on the same page as the government and are often before the courts fighting for police powers. “The credibility of the entire judicial appointment process is at risk,” said MacCarthy, whose 37,000-member organization issued a stinging news release. “Any steps that could affect the independence, impartiality and objectivity of the judicial appointment process require full-scale consultation across the entire spectrum of the justice system.” Judicial Advisory Committees in each province were created in 1988, in part to combat a growing perception that federal judgeships are patronage plums. The committees each consist of seven panelists, including members of the legal community, the judiciary, and the community at large. Toews is responsible for three “at large” appointments and his planned changes will increase that number to four, giving him more discretion over committee members. Although Toews has the final say on judicial appointments, the committees advise him on suitable candidates. It’s a system that leaves wide latitude for the minister to pick from a large pool of contenders. Federally appointed judges sit on superior courts and courts of appeal in each province, as well as the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada, and the Court Martial Appeal Court. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
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