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28 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m It was nearly eight months after the federal election before the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced its first judicial appointments, in the wake of an increasing call, even from senior members of the bench, to fill a number of vacancies across the country. A news release issued on June 17 on behalf of federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould made public 15 appointments of either new judges or elevations of existing members of the bench. The appointments included people such as Justice Sheilah Martin, the respected legal scholar and former law school dean, who was elevated from the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench to its Court of Appeal. The backgrounds of the individuals appointed also appeared to be more diverse than what was the norm under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. What had not changed though was the process that led to these appointments. The news release issued by the Liberal government, with its very brief biographical details of each appointee, was no different than in the past. There was no explanation why these candidates were appointed or the process, other than boiler-plate language that can be found on the web site of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. The release was put out on a Friday, the day that govern- ments of all stripes tend to make announcements that they don't want to have dominating the news cycle. The only hint of change was a statement that the government is "considering ways" to change the judicial appointment process, and that it is committed to "openness, transparency and merit" in the process. Since those appointments in June, the federal government has announced changes to the appointment process for judges named to the Supreme Court of Canada. A seven-member advisory board was created to review applicants for the position and there are other measures to try to make that process more open. Top secret THE FEDERAL PROCESS FOR APPOINTING JUDGES HAS BEEN HIGHLY MURKY, AND HOPES ARE HIGH FOR REAL REFORMS By Shannon Kari GARY NEILL