Premier Danielle Smith says her government will withhold funding for new judicial appointments in Alberta if the federal government doesn’t give the province a say on who is picked.
In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney made public Tuesday, Smith says the appointment process for judges needs reform.
Her letter comes a week after Alberta’s judges called on Smith to respect each other’s role and independence, after the premier said on her weekly radio show she wishes she could “direct” them.
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Smith told Carney she wants the province to be consulted on future appointments to Alberta’s Court of King’s Bench, the Alberta Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.
Smith proposed a committee that includes Alberta appointees to help assess and recommend candidates to justice ministers.
Smith said the collaboration would help ensure the appointments “appropriately reflect Alberta’s distinct legal traditions,” and strengthen public confidence in the administration of justice.
“Alberta’s government will not agree to provide the necessary funding to support any new judicial positions in the province until such engagement and collaboration are provided,” Smith wrote in the letter, dated Jan. 23.
“Providing Alberta with a formal and meaningful role in the appointment process would strengthen public confidence in the administration of justice, promote national unity within Alberta and help ensure judicial decision-making reflects the values and expectations of Albertans.”
She also called on Carney to relax bilingualism requirements for federal appointees, arguing they entrench both barriers and Western alienation.
— More to come…
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