The political bias of the judiciary.Ottawa -- In January 2006 Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin Beverley McLachlin, PC, LL.D, M.A., LL.B, BA (born September 7, 1943) is the Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold that position. Early life Born in Pincher Creek, Alberta, she received a BA and a MA in philosophy and an LL. 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 The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within Ontario. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., a division of Star Media Group, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. agreed with her (Editorial, Feb. 21, 2006). Chief Justice McLachlin is herself deeply committed to radical secularism sec·u·lar·ism n. 1. Religious skepticism or indifference. 2. The view that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education. in which an agnostic judiciary replaces religion and the Church as the moulder moul·der v. Chiefly British Variant of molder. moulder or US molder Verb to crumble or cause to crumble, as through decay: 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 Michael or Mike Brown may refer to: In politics:
* Yves de Montigny, Mr. Cotler's chief of staff; * Marsha Erb, Alberta Liberal fundraiser and close friend of Alberta Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan
A. ; * 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 The Canadian Jewish News (CJN) is a weekly, English-language tabloid-sized newspaper serving Canada's Jewish community. Though independent, the newspaper has been, since 1971, owned by a group of Jewish leaders involved with Canadian Jewish Congress and is generally seen as (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. |
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