Tories chastised for lack of racial diversity in judicial appointments – The Globe and Mail

While the Conservatives have been successful in their outreach to ethnic communities, it would appear much less so in some of the more substantive aspects such as judicial appointments:

In the past five and a half years, the federal government has appointed just three non-white judges, out of nearly 200 first-time judges named to the bench, despite growing numbers of lawyers who are members of racial minorities.

1.5 percent of appointments, and the usual government response that it is “guided foremost by the principles of merit and legal excellence in the appointment of judges and Canada has many candidates that meet these criteria” suggests insensitivity to diversity issues. The Government has been assiduous in appointing a number of senators from ethnic communities as well as having reasonable representation among its caucus. Why the difference in judicial appointments? Does the government wish to say that there are only a handful of qualified candidates among minorities?

Tories chastised for lack of racial diversity in judicial appointments – The Globe and Mail.