Supreme Court chief justice slams Liberal government over slow judicial appointments process

The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada said Tuesday (June 13) the federal Liberal government's sluggish judicial appointment process is allowing some alleged criminals to walk away because there aren't enough justices to hear cases in a timely manner.

The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada said Tuesday (June 13) the federal Liberal government's sluggish judicial appointment process is allowing some alleged criminals to walk away because there aren't enough justices to hear cases in a timely manner.

Speaking to reporters at an end-of-session press conference, Chief Justice Richard Wagner said he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this year to press him to speed up the appointment process.

Wagner said he wanted to "alert him to the serious consequences of this lack of appointments."

He said the prime minister phoned him back for a short conversation but, so far, he hasn't seen much progress.

Wagner also was asked about Russell Brown, the former Supreme Court justice who resigned Monday after the Canadian Judicial Council launched an investigation into a drunken brawl at an Arizona resort earlier this year.