“What’s important to me is understanding the character of the person. Do they have integrity? Do they have an understanding of the law, experience in the law, and do they understand the role that the courts ought to play within a country like Canada?”
During a special parliamentary hearing for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first Supreme Court nominee, Manitoba Justice Glenn Joyal, Conservative MPs pressed the veteran judge on topics such as bail practices and pronoun policies, but Joyal kept a measured, institutionalist tone throughout the two-and-a-half-hour session. The hearing also featured Attorney General Sean Fraser defending the appointment process after a Conservative MP raised concerns about potential bias from judges who had previously donated to the Liberal party. Fraser responded that evaluating a nominee’s character, integrity, and legal understanding matters more than their political affiliations. The exchange highlighted ongoing tensions over judicial independence as Joyal’s confirmation moves forward.
- stcatharinesstandard.ca ↗︎30 JUN 2026