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Bill C-285

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2nd Session, 36th Parliament,
48 Elizabeth II, 1999

The House of Commons of Canada

BILL C-285

An Act to amend the Supreme Court Act (approval of justices by committee)

R.S., c. S-26; R.S., c. 34 (3rd Supp.); 1990, c. 8; 1993, cc. 28, 34; 1994, c. 44; 1997, c. 18; 1998, c. 15

      Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. (1) Subsection 2(1) of the Supreme Court Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetic order:

``Committee''
« comité »

``Committee'' means the standing committee of the House of Commons appointed to deal with matters related to justice;

2. Section 4 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):

Fifteen-year term

(3) Subject to subsection 9(2), the appointment of a judge shall be for a term of fifteen years.

Nomination to the Committee

(4) No person may be appointed under subsection (2) unless

    (a) the Governor in Council has first informed the House of Commons that it nominates the person for appointment to the Court;

    (b) the House has referred the nomination to the Committee;

    (c) the Committee has taken the nomination under consideration and presented a report to the House of Commons recommending that the person be appointed; and

    (d) the House has passed a resolution concurring in the recommendation, or approving the nomination.

No second term

(5) A person who has served or who is serving a term on the Court may not be nominated for or appointed to a second term.

Deemed approved after six months

(6) If, six months after the date, the Governor in Council informed the House of Commons of the name of a person it wishes to appoint to the Court, the House of Commons has neither

    (a) passed a resolution to the effect that it does not approve of the nomination, or

    (b) concurred in a recommendation of the Committee that a person nominated be appointed,

the House of Commons is deemed to have concurred in a recommendation that the person be appointed.

House dissolved

(7) Notwithstanding subsection (4), if there is a vacancy on the Court and, at the time, there is no House of Commons, or if the Governor in Council has informed the House of the name of a person it nominates for appointment to the Court and, before the House has passed a resolution approving the nomination, the House is dissolved, the Governor in Council may appoint a person to the Court for a term of two years.

Committee may hear witnesses

(8) In taking under consideration a nomination of a person to be appointed to the Court, the Committee may call witnesses, including the person nominated.

3. Subsection 9(1) of the Act is replaced with the following:

Tenure of Office

(1) Subject to subsection (2), the judges hold office for their term of appointment during good behaviour, but are removable by the Governor General on address of the Senate and House of Commons.