OTTAWA -- Former chief justice Beverley McLachlin said she supports calls to appoint an Indigenous justice to the Supreme Court of Canada.
There has never been an Indigenous jurist on Canada鈥檚 highest court.
When McLachlin announced her departure from the Supreme Court, there was a swell of support for an Indigenous applicant to be appointed鈥� but the movement was deflated when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau selected Alberta judge Sheilah Martin to fill the vacancy.
Don Martin, host of CTV鈥檚 Power Play, asked McLachlin whether she supports the push for an Indigenous Supreme Court justice during an episode of the show airing Thursday. She said 鈥渁bsolutely.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 all for diversity on the Supreme Court because鈥� I think different people bring different experiences from their past life,鈥� McLachlin said.
She pushed back on any potential arguments against the move.
鈥淪ome people say that鈥檚 bad because they鈥檙e going to be biased 鈥� not at all. They bring these perspectives so that they can see the problem in a better, and richer, and deeper way. So I would really welcome that, and I鈥檓 sure it will happen,鈥� she told Martin.
During the 2017 push for an Indigenous Supreme Court justice, Indigenous jurists John Borrows and Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond were frequently touted as strong applicants. Both have doctorates in law and have worked across Canada.
