Senator Martin: This isn’t a new problem, leader. The Supreme Court rendered its Jordan decision in July 2016, and, as Senator Boisvenu stated, serious criminal charges, including first-degree murder, have been stayed in the wake of this decision. Yet, the Trudeau government has done such a poor job filling federal judicial vacancies that Chief Justice Wagner says justices across Canada are being forced to pick and choose “the criminal matters that ‘deserve’ to be heard.”

Leader, can you make inquiries and let us know how many cases have been stayed across Canada under the 18-month and 30-month time limit set out in Jordan? As well, how many cases are currently in danger of being stayed?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. As I’ve mentioned before in this chamber, the government has appointed more than 600 judges since November 2015. Judges, like senators, have mandatory retirement at 75, according to the Constitution, so there will be a certain number of vacancies created just by the passage of time.

The government has put into place a system to ensure that those who apply for judicial appointments are vetted by an independent judicial advisory committee to ensure that the best candidates are brought forward for consideration by the minister, candidates who reflect the needs of the judiciary and also the makeup of the country. Minister Lametti continues to work seriously and diligently to ensure that the remaining vacant posts are filled.