QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council Office
Governor-in-Council Appointments
April 11, 2024
Senator Gold, after eight years of Justin Trudeau’s leadership, everything is broken, including your judicial appointment process. At least five serious criminal cases were thrown out just in Toronto since last December, “. . . due to delays caused by the federal government’s failure to promptly fill empty spots on the bench.”
Those cases included human trafficking and two child sexual abuse cases. Last May, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada took the extraordinary step of warning Prime Minister Trudeau of this exact scenario if his government didn’t appoint judges more quickly.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Code’s recent ruling called the Trudeau government’s seeming inability to appoint judges, “. . . an embarrassment to the administration of justice . . . .”
Federal judicial appointments are the one part impacting court delays that the Trudeau government alone directly controls. So when will they finally stop shirking their duty, pointing the finger and do the job that Canadians expect? Appoint judges so justice can be served.
Thank you for your question. This government has made more judicial appointments than any other previous government in Canadian history and continues to appoint judges at an unprecedented rate. There are more judges sitting in Canada today than ever before in Canadian history. The Government of Canada made 100 judicial appointments last year, a number never attained by any previous government.
The government cares deeply about filling these positions and in providing justice in our system. That’s why it has funded 116 new judicial positions since forming government. That means, of course, there are more positions to fill, but make no mistake, colleagues, there are more judges sitting today in Canada than ever in history. There are, indeed, multiple factors that contribute to court delays, and the government has called upon all players — including provinces and territories — to do their part to assist.
I have challenged the Trudeau government on this failure for seven years. Judicial vacancies have continued to climb with now 65 positions unfilled. This fake feminist government touts their process and female judicial appointments, but now it is largely female victims being denied justice for the horrific crimes they’ve suffered. Judges are even ruling that the prime reason for these serious criminal charges being dropped is this government’s failure to appoint judges. When will your government fill these vacancies to stop dangerous criminals being freed?
It is always regrettable that there are vacancies in judicial positions that have the effect of triggering the principles the Supreme Court outlined, but, again, the government has appointed more judges, continues to work diligently and will continue to do so.
