René Basque, president of the Canadian Bar Association, issued the following statement:
Today, the Prime Minister announced the next steps to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) that will be created when Chief Justice McLachlin retires in December. The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) welcomes the news that the selection criteria will respect the constitutional convention of regional representation, and that applications will be sought from Western Canada and Northern Canada.
The CBA firmly believes that appointments to the SCC should be based on merit, ensuring a judiciary that reflects the full diversity of Canada’s regions, legal systems, and population. Honouring regional representation means that our highest court will continue to represent all regions of Canada.
The CBA continues to emphasize the importance of outreach to ensure the full participation in the selection process of qualified candidates.