Time for Ford to clean up judiciary patronage mess

February 29, 2024

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens Leader and MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that Democracy Watch will file a court case challenging Ontario’s too-political, unconstitutional system for appointing judges to provincial courts.

“Every day, we learn some new shocking detail about the Premier’s judicial appointments patronage scandal.

Yesterday, it was revealed that one of the new appointees is registered to lobby the government on behalf of a gun manufacturer.

What will it be tomorrow?

This is a dangerous politicization of the judicial process that erodes public trust in our democracy and the government itself.

Government appointments should be based on merit – not on whoever happens to have recently completed a stint in the Premier’s office.

Judges should be appointed to apply the law, not to do the Premier’s bidding.”

-30-