Good day, Minister. Thank you for being here today.
My first question concerns the judicial appointment process. On February 27 last, you chaired the special committee that reviewed the appointment of Justice Rothstein to the Supreme Court. Despite the apprehensions of some observers, including the Chief Justice, the exercise turned out to be a very positive one and highly educational from a public standpoint. Did the department do an in-depth analysis of the review exercise after the fact? Would you be so kind as to share your thoughts on this exercise with us?
I also have a question for you concerning Supreme Court justices. As we all know, barring exceptional circumstances, there is a mandatory retirement age in place for judges. Our feeling is that this requirement gives the court a certain measure of stability. Given that fact, do you think it would be wise to use this stability to our advantage and continue to reflect on the judicial appointment process, or do you think last February's exercise should become a permanent one?
Furthermore, during the 38th Parliament, you were actively involved in the work of the justice committee's Subcommittee on the process for appointment to the Federal Judiciary. Do you still feel this subcommittee should pursue its work? Would you be willing to formally ask the committee to examine the appointment process?
Given the positive feedback from the review of Justice Rothstein's appointment by the special committee that you personally chaired, do you think it would be a good idea to put a similar structure in place for reviewing appointments to lower levels of the federal judiciary?