Jury still out on Nunavut’s third judge

Nunavut should have it’s third judge within six months, after a three-year wait.

The Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs (CFJA) screened 26 possible candidates earlier this year when Anne McLellan was the federal justice minister, according to Suzanne Labbe, judicial appointments secretary for the CFJA.

Labbe would not say how many of those names were forwarded to McLellan in January. McLellan has since been replaced as justice minister by Martin Cauchon.

Labbe took exception to comments in a recent Nunatsiaq News article suggesting the process was dragging and secretive.

“What we keep secret are the names. The process is quite open,” she said.

Chief justice Beverley Browne and justice Robert Kilpatrick were appointed to Nunavut’s bench in April 1999.

The CFJA’s screening process is ongoing. “We’re still in the process of examining the names and qualifications,” Labbe said.

When asked if a judge will be appointed by the end of the year, Labbe said, “I certainly hope it’s within the year.”

Cauchon is responsible for making the final appointment.