Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Ben Woodfinden: Finally — new Supreme Court justice doesn't think he's above Parliament

Glenn Joyal has been warning about judicial overreach for decades

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Mark Carney has named Manitoba judge Glenn Joyal to the Supreme Court, and the appointment is good news for a reason that has little to do with how he will rule in specific cases. Joyal is that rare thing on a high court: a judge who thinks judges have become too powerful. He has argued for years, at some professional cost, that the bench has crept into territory belonging to the legislatures, and that the cure is more judicial modesty, not less. That is exactly how a judge ought to think, and is sadly in rare supply on the benches these days. 

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

The Chief Justice of Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench has made his case in the open, not only in his rulings. It goes back to a master’s thesis from the early Charter years with the almost too-perfect title “Traditional Canadian Political Culture Adrift in the Era of the Charter.” His worry about what the Charter did to Canadian self-government is as old as the Charter itself, and has only grown truer since. 

Ben Woodfinden: Finally — new Supreme Court justice doesn't think he's above Parliament Back to video

This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on........

© National Post