The political bias of the judiciary.

Ottawa -- In January 2006 Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin complained about the proposed public questioning of any candidates to be appointed to the Supreme Court. This, she said, threatens to introduce a political bias in the selection of candidates. The Toronto Star agreed with her (Editorial, Feb. 21, 2006).

Chief Justice McLachlin is herself deeply committed to radical secularism in which an agnostic judiciary replaces religion and the Church as the moulder of the nation's vision. Ironically, she had an ally in former Justice Minister Irving Cotler, a secular Jewish MP from Montreal.

Mr. Cotler showed a distinct pattern of preferring Liberals for judicial appointments during his two-year tenure, selecting the following members of his own party for the judiciary:

* Michael Brown, Mr. Cotler's executive assistant and policy adviser;

* Yves de Montigny, Mr. Cotler's chief of staff;

* Marsha Erb, Alberta Liberal fundraiser and close friend of Alberta Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan;

* John J. Gill, co-chair of the 2004 Alberta federal Liberal campaign;

* Vital Ouellette, unsuccessful Liberal candidate in the 1997 and 2000 provincial elections;

* Bryan Mahoney, Liberal candidate twice defeated by Calgary Tory Myron Thompson;

* Edmond Blanchard, former Liberal minister of finance in New Brunswick (cf. REALity, Jan.-Feb., 2006; Ted Byfield, Calgary Sun, Feb. 29, 2006).

As to his recommendation for the Supreme Court, the Canadian Jewish News (Mar. 2, 2006) celebrated the appointment of Marshall Rothstein as the third Jew on the nine-member Court. Mr. Cotler presented Judge Rothstein to Prime Minister Harper as the leading nominee in February 2006. He also appointed:

* Morris Fish, a secular Jewish friend in Montreal;

* Rosalie Abella, feminist wife of Cotler's secular Jewish friend Irving Abella.

In addition he appointed feminist Judge Louise Charron to the Supreme Court.