The 2022 Supreme Court of Canada Appointment Process

The process to select a new justice for the Supreme Court of Canada has commenced to fill the vacancy that will arise due to the retirement of Justice Michael J. Moldaver (please see the Prime Minister's press release for details).

As part of the established process initiated in 2016, an independent Advisory Board has been tasked with identifying qualified candidates who are functionally bilingual, representative of Canadian diversity, and capable of fulfilling the mission of the Supreme Court. The Advisory Board will present a list of three to five candidates to the Prime Minister for consideration. Notably, the esteemed H. Wade MacLauchlan, the former Prime Minister of Prince Edward Island, has been appointed by the Prime Minister to chair the Advisory Board, and the other members will be announced in the latter half of spring.

Justice Moldaver was appointed to the Canadian Supreme Court from the Ontario Court of Appeals, and accordingly, candidates from Ontario are eligible to apply for this position. Applicants should indicate their bar membership, judicial appointment, or any other relevant relationship with Ontario when applying through the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada. The deadline for submitting applications is May 13, 2022. This selection process is aimed at filling the ninth seat on the Canadian Supreme Court.