Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Supreme Court Rejects Prime Minister's Appointment

In a rebuke to Canada's Prime Minister, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that his attempt to appoint a judge from the Federal Court of Appeal to the country's highest court was unconstitutional.  
 
On September 30, 2013, Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, announced the nomination of Justice Marc Nadon, a supernumerary judge of the Federal Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.  On October 3, 2013, Justice Nadon was named as a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada by Order in Council.  He replaced Justice Morris Fish as one of the three judges appointed from Quebec pursuant to section 6 of the Supreme Court Act ("Act").   He was sworn in as a member of the court on the morning of October 7, 2013. 
 
On the same day, Justice Nadon's appointment to the SCC was challenged by Rocco Galati, a Toronto lawyer.  Mr. Galati brought an application before the Federal Court of Canada arguing that the Act does not permit Federal Court judges to be appointed to the SCC.  As a result of Mr. Galati's legal challenge, Justice Nadon decided not to participate in any cases that were before the SCC. 
 
In an attempt to confirm its choice of Justice Nadon and cut short Mr. Galati's challenge, the government referred two questions to the Supreme Court for hearing and consideration :
 
1.    Can a person who was, at any time, an advocate of at least 10 years standing at the Barreau du Quebec (Quebec Bar) be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada as a member of the Supreme Court from Quebec pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of the Act?  (Justice Nadon was a former advocate of the Quebec bar.)
 
2.    Can Parliament enact legislation that requires that a person be or has previously been a barrister or advocate of at least 10 years standing at the bar of a province as a condition of appointment of a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada or enact the annexed declaratory provisions as set out in clauses 471 and 472 of the Bill entitled "Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2"?  (This was the government's omnibus budget bill.)
 
On the same day that the government referred these two questions to the court, it introduced Bill C-4, Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2 ("Bill C-4") into the House of Commons.  Clauses 471 and 472 of Bill C-4 proposed to amend the Act by adding sections 5.1 and 6.1.  These provisions were subsequently passed and received Royal Assent on December 12, 2013.  The new provisions were designed to clear the way for Justice Nadon's appointment. 
 
Section 5 of the Act reads:  "Any person may be appointed a judge who is or has been a judge of a Superior Court of a province or a barrister or advocate of at least 10 years standing at the bar of a province." 
 
Section 5.1, added by Bill C-4, reads:  "For greater certainty, for the purpose of section 5, a person may be appointed a judge if at any time, they were a barrister or advocate of at least 10 years standing at the bar of a province."
 
Section 6 of the Act reads:  "At least three of the judges shall be appointed from among the judges of the Court of Appeal or of the Superior Court of the Province of Quebec or from among the advocates of that Province ."
 
Section 6.1, added by Bill C-4, reads:  "For greater certainty, for the purpose of section 6, a judge is from among the advocates of the Province of Quebec if, at any time, they were an advocate of at least 10 years standing at the bar of that Province."
 
Seven judges of the Supreme Court of Canada heard this reference.  
 
In a six to one decision (Justice Moldaver dissenting), the Supreme Court answered the first question in the negative and determined that Justice Nadon did not meet the criteria set out in sections 5 and 6 of the Act and was therefore ineligible to join them on the Supreme Court of Canada.  
 
The Court answered the second question in the negative with respect to the three seats on the court reserved for Quebec and held that Parliament could not enact legislation to make Justice Nadon eligible without the unanimous consent of Parliament and the provincial legislatures because to do so amounted to a amendment to the Constitution Act, 1982.
 
The majority decision, written by all the majority justices, held that reading section 5 and section 6 of the Act together, means that the pool of eligible candidates from the four groups of people that are eligible under section 5 are narrowed by section 6 to two groups, i.e. current members of the Quebec bar or current judges of the courts of Quebec.  The plain meaning of section 6 has remained consistent since the original version of that provision was enacted in 1875 and it has always excluded former advocates.  By specifying that three judges shall be appointed "from among" the judges and advocates of the identified institutions impliedly excludes former members of those institutions and imposes a requirement of current membership.  Reading sections 5 and 6 together, the requirement of at least 10 years standing at the bar applied to appointments from Quebec.  
 
The Court held that this analysis is consistent with the underlying purpose of section 6 and reflects the historical compromise that led to the creation of the Supreme Court as a general court of appeal for Canada and as a federal and bijural institution.   Section 6 seeks to ensure civil law expertise and the representation of Quebec's legal traditions and social values on the Court and to enhance the confidence of Quebec in the Court.  
 
Accordingly, Justice Nadon, as a former but not current advocate, was not eligible.
 
With respect to the second question, the justices held that Parliament's unilateral power to provide for a general court of appeal for Canada found in section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867, has being overtaken by the Supreme Court's evolution in the structure of the Constitution as recognized in Part V of the Constitution Act, 1982.   The Court's constitutional status arose from its historical evolution into an institution whose continued existence and functioning engaged the interests of both Parliament and the provinces.  As a result, Parliament is now required to maintain the essence of what enables the Supreme Court to perform its current role.  While Parliament has the authority to enact amendments necessary for the continued maintenance of the Court, it cannot unilaterally modify the composition or other essential features of the Court.  
 
Part V of the Constitution Act, 1982, expressly makes changes to the Supreme Court and to its composition subject to constitutional amending procedures.  Accordingly, such changes require the unanimous consent of Parliament and the provincial legislatures.  Any substantive change in relation to the court's eligibility requirements is an amendment to the Constitution in relation to the composition of the Supreme Court and triggers the application of Part V.  Accordingly, section 6.1 of the government's omnibus Economic Act was unconstitutional of Parliament since it substantively changed the eligibility requirements for appointments to the Quebec seats on the court under section 6.  The court found however, that section 5.1 does not alter the law as it existed in 1982 and was therefore validly enacted under the Constitution Act, although it is redundant.  
 
Despite this decision, the government has indicated that it hasn't ruled out re-appointing Justice Nadon to the Court.
 
Regards,
 
Blair