Stacking judicial appointments with partisans makes a comeback under the Liberals

How much does it cost to get a judgeship in Canada? The answer should be “nothing.” Judges are supposed to be independent and apolitical to ensure public confidence in the legal system. All who come before the courts should be equal, whatever their political affiliation, and governments whose laws are challenged should not be favoured by friends on the bench. The judiciary has no room for partisanship, and certainly not for partisan financial gain.Alas, this week, the National Post reported that at least six current superior court justices may have paid to meet with the prime minister or the deputy prime minister at Liberal party fundraisers shortly before being appointed. This follows the publication earlier this month of an investigation by the National Post and the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IFJ) that found that since 2016 over three times as many Liberal party donors were made judges as Conservative donors. The number of Conservative donors appointed to the judiciary has also dropped significantly since the Liberals came to power, whereas the number of NDP donors appointed more than doubled between 2016 and 2022, the year the NDP entered an agreement to support the Liberals.Coincidence? Not likely.Read the full column on the National Post website