MINISTER OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES MEMBERS OF NEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR NEXT SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENT

OTTAWA, October 11, 2005 – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today announced the members of the Advisory Committee that, as part of the new Supreme Court of Canada appointments process, will assess candidates to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honourable Mr. Justice John C. Major, effective December 25, 2005.

"The Advisory Committee has an important mandate and role. Its diversity will provide for complete and balanced perspectives and expertise, while allowing for enhanced parliamentary, provincial and public input." said Minister Cotler. "Its work will help uphold the long-standing and world-renowned tradition of excellence in the quality of Supreme Court of Canada appointments."

The Advisory Committee includes a Member of Parliament from each recognized party, a retired judge and, from the region where the vacancy arises, a nominee of the provincial Attorneys General, a nominee of the law societies and two prominent Canadians who are neither lawyers nor judges. A new Advisory Committee will be formed each time a Supreme Court vacancy occurs. The retirement of Justice Major creates a vacancy from the Prairie Region.

Members of this Advisory Committee are:

• Anita Neville, Liberal Party of Canada
• Vic Toews, Conservative Party of Canada
• Richard Marceau, Bloc Québécois
• Joe Comartin, New Democratic Party of Canada
• Allan McEachern, nominee from the Canadian Judicial Council
• W. Brent Cotter, nominee from the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provincial Attorneys General
• Garth Smorang, nominee from the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba law societies
• Chester Cunningham and Barbara Pollock, as two prominent Canadians who are neither lawyers nor judges

The mandate of the Advisory Committee is to assess an initial list of five to eight candidates, which is created by the Minister of Justice in consultation with the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of Canada, the Attorneys General for the region in question, the Chief Justices of the courts of the region in question, the local law societies for the region in question and the Canadian Bar Association. The Minister has also invited public input with respect to candidates who merit consideration.

The Advisory Committee then provides the Minister with an unranked short list of three candidates from which the successful candidate will be chosen.

A mandate letter from the Minister will be provided to the Advisory Committee to guide its activities and to help ensure a full, balanced and objective assessment of the candidates. The Minister will meet with the Advisory Committee on October 17, 2005 to discuss its mandate and to provide the initial list of five to eight candidates.

A backgrounder, Members of the Advisory Committee on Supreme Court of Canada Appointments, provides biographical notes.

Further information on the new appointments process, including details on the composition, mandate and operations of advisory committees, is available in the Proposal to Reform the Supreme Court of Canada Appointments Process, which was tabled with Parliament in April 2005. An online version is accessible at http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub/scc/index.html.

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Ref.:

François Giroux
Judicial Affairs Advisor
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621