OTTAWA – The Conservative government is asking the eight sitting Supreme Court judges to rule on whether its latest appointee, Marc Nadon, is qualified to join their ranks.
Justice Minister Peter MacKay says challenges to Nadon’s appointment need a speedy resolution and the government is clarifying the rules.
The government used another massive budget implementation bill tabled today to offer amendments that will remove the main impediment to Nadon’s appointment.
According to MacKay, the changes will declare that individuals with at least 10 years on the Quebec bar at any point in their career are eligible for the Supreme Court bench.
Nadon’s appointment is under scrutiny because it is claimed the judge does not meet the special requirements, guaranteed under the law, for Quebec’s three Supreme Court judges.
Opposition MPs are questioning why the Conservatives have used another omnibus budget bill of more than 300 pages to make such an important non-budgetary change to the Supreme Court of Canada Act.
