One of the country's most prominent legal advocacy groups is criticizing the Trudeau government's judicial appointment process, saying the "political vetting of candidates" could undermine Canadians' trust in the judiciary. In the House last week, Justice Minister David Lametti said that judicial appointments are based on merit and the goal of increasing diversity in Canadian courtrooms. "We changed and improved the judicial appointment process precisely because the former Conservative government was making very partisan appointments," he said. Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says that she tried to shield the judicial appointments process from political considerations. In its open letter, the CBA added that the vetting process conducted by various federal officials has hindered the government's ability to quickly fill vacancies in courts across the country.

Source: CBC News November 09, 2020 18:33 UTC