Canada names advisory board to select Candidates for Supreme Court vacancy

The vacancy will arise following the retirement of Justice Sheilah L. Martin on May 30, after serving on the country’s top court since 2017.

The government said the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments will review applications and provide a shortlist of candidates to the prime minister for consideration.

The board will be chaired by Maureen McTeer and includes Riel Bellegarde, Aimée Craft, Justin E. Kingston, Marie-Pierre Lavoie, J. Michael MacDonald, Justin Robichaud and Laura Spitz.

According to the government, the board will assess candidates based on merit, bilingualism and their ability to reflect Canada’s diversity, while respecting the convention of regional representation for Western and Northern Canada.

“A strong and independent judiciary is fundamental to our democracy,” Carney said in a statement.

The Supreme Court of Canada consists of nine judges appointed by the federal government. Candidates must either be current or former superior court judges or lawyers with at least 10 years standing at a provincial or territorial bar.