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Ottawa: Supreme Court opens new judicial year in temporary home, chief justice warns democratic institutions face "unrelenting pressures"
Chief Justice Richard Wagner opened the Supreme Court's new judicial year in its temporary West Memorial Building home, warning that democratic institutions face unrelenting pressures and must be protected.
Why it matters
The chief justice's warning comes as courts around the world face growing political pressure, and as Canada's top court itself begins a historic decade-long move. His message: the rule of law is tested in storms, not calm waters.
Full report
Chief Justice Richard Wagner said Monday that Canada's democratic institutions need protection in the face of unrelenting pressures, as the Supreme Court of Canada opened a new judicial year. "The strength of an anchor is not measured in calm waters," Wagner said. "It is measured in a storm. The same is true for the rule of law."
Wagner, flanked by the other members of the court, spoke at a ceremony in the court's temporary new home, the West Memorial Building near Parliament Hill, while the court's permanent building across the street undergoes extensive renovations expected to take at least 10 years. A formal welcome for the court's newest member, Glenn Joyal, is set for next month.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser told the courtroom full of dignitaries that provinces, communities and groups of people are asking questions about their roles within the Canadian federation. Kristen Boon, president of the Council of Canadian Law Deans, said judges and those who lead law schools have been watching with concern the threats to the rule of law around the world.
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