Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government has been taking some heat of late for the appointment of two former political staff members to a committee that helps select provincial judges.
In the face of criticism from a wide range of sources, including not only opposition parties but organizations like Canada’s Criminal Lawyers Association and the Federation of Ontario Legal Associations, Premier Doug Ford responded that his government was elected “to get like-minded people in appointments.”
While such statements call to mind any number of questions regarding the importance of judicial independence, Ford has since doubled, tripled and literally even “quadrupled” down on his position.
Which means there is a very real chance that he will have reversed it by the time this issue of the Community News hits the streets.
However, as of this writing the ball is still in play, so it behooves us to take a look at what the process of finding judges with minds like Doug Ford might look like.
Interviewer: So how long have you been a lawyer?
Applicant: Dropped out of law school actually. Seemed the hard way to get ahead. My dad has a great business you see…
Interviewer: So your experience with the legal system would involve…?
Applicant: Well I used to deal a bit of hash in the parks around Etobicoke and had occasion to spend considerable time with lawyers and judges as a result.
Interviewer: Moving on then … What’s your position on bail? Should anyone get it?
Applicant: Nope.
Interviewer: Okay, off to a good start here. What about beer for a buck?
Applicant: I’m all for it.
Interviewer: No concerns about increased consumption leading to violent behaviour we’d have to deal with in the courts, that sort of thing?
Applicant: Roadhouse is my favourite movie.
Interviewer: Civil cases against the government?
Applicant: Should be outlawed.
Interviewer: (Grinning at colleagues) Why didn’t we think of that?
Interviewer: Suppose a government were rezoning and reclassifying land, including agricultural and environmentally-sensitive tracts, to the advantage of its major donors? Issues with that?
Applicant: Well, as long as the premier didn’t know about it (winks)?
Interviewer: Okay, what if a group of protestors blockaded the streets of a major Ontario city for weeks, honking horns, shutting down commerce, terrifying residents and calling for public safety measures to end and the government to be dissolved?
Applicant: That’s a federal problem. I’d go snowmobiling.
Interviewer: How do you feel about the Greenbelt?
Applicant: Holds up my trousers on St. Patrick’s Day.
Interviewer: Back to the bail question – the bleeding hearts keep pointing out Ontario jails are over-capacity and 80 per cent of the people in them are awaiting trial and presumed innocent.
Applicant: We should just build more prisons.
Interviewer: Funny you should say that …
Applicant: Yeah, I heard about the promise to “build as many jails as we need.” You know, you could also count those as new housing starts.
Interviewer: (Does a double take. Makes notes.)
Interviewer: Okay then, that’s all we have for now. Do you have any questions?
Applicant: If I get this job, can I appoint some of my buddies to be prosecutors?
Interviewer: We’ll be in touch.
