Being a good listener and ensuring people know that they've been heard are keys to earning public confidence as a judge, Supreme Court nominee Sheilah Martin said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with parliamentarians. "And it has been my personal goal to be respectful in court, and to listen patiently and to let things unfold." Martin said she hopes her written judgments make it clear that a losing party's arguments have been fully understood. Residential schoolsLast year, the Liberal government brought in a new Supreme Court appointment process to encourage more openness and diversity, which also requires justices to be functionally bilingual. Martin's nomination to the Supreme Court ensures the nine-member bench will remain at full strength after Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin retires Dec. 15 after 28 years on the court.

Source: CBC News December 05, 2017 22:07 UTC