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Collin May: Canadian judges have become too political

Reforming the judicial selection process would help restore Canada's independent, non-partisan judiciary

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In a recent statement, Bianca Kratt, president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), warned journalists against criticizing sitting judges lest they risk “delegitimizing” the judiciary. She invoked unspecified threats to the rule of law and the independence of the Canadian judiciary as rhetorical tropes to silence would-be critics. Yet it’s even more concerning that organizations such as the CBA that demand unquestioned fealty to the judiciary play a role in the selection of judges. This should change.

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For the most part, Canadians have little insight into how federal court judges are chosen. However, the same could be said for most lawyers, politicians and even judges themselves. The system is so mysterious and opaque that very few people understand it, and those who do tend to manipulate it for their own political ends.

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