How the Liberals have chosen appointees has only weakened the bench

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The person who gets to appoint every judge on Alberta’s two highest courts — King’s Bench and the Court of Appeal — is Prime Minister Mark Carney. He also decides who to send up to the Supreme Court to represent Western Canada. Alberta wants better judges, and Premier Danielle Smith is completely right in seeking change. It is disappointing that Justice Minister Sean Fraser has already dismissed the premier’s proposal. The entire judicial appointment process, not just for the West, needs an overall, one that puts competence and justice ahead of politics.

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On Jan. 23, Smith sent a letter to Carney proposing a new model of “meaningful engagement and collaboration” to get these judicial seats filled. She envisioned an advisory committee with four experts — two selected by the province, two selected by the federal government — tasked with assessing candidates for Alberta’s two major courts, and sending a list of recommendations up to the federal and provincial ministers of justice, who would then “collaboratively” decide on the successful candidates.

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