On March 30, 2026, the Prime Minister of Canada opened the process to select the next judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, and fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Madam Justice Sheilah L. Martin. (View Prime Minister’s news release)
An independent and non-partisan Advisory Board will again be given the task of reviewing all applications, and identifying functionally bilingual candidates who are of the highest caliber for the Prime Minister’s consideration. The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs is responsible for administering the process.
The Advisory Board’s Terms of Reference stipulate that, in establishing a list of three to five qualified and functionally bilingual candidates, the Advisory Board must seek to support the Government of Canada’s efforts to achieve a gender-balanced Supreme Court of Canada that also reflects the diversity of members of Canadian society, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of ethnic, linguistic and other minority communities, including those whose gender identity or sexual orientation differs from that of the majority.
In recognition of the convention of regional representation, this process is open to candidates from Western Canada and Northern Canada, that is British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Candidates may demonstrate that they satisfy the geographical requirement by reference to their bar membership, judicial appointment or other relationship with Western Canada or Northern Canada. The question of whether a candidate is functionally bilingual will be assessed by the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, in accordance with established and objective criteria.
I encourage you to use your networks and knowledge of the judiciary and legal community in your jurisdictions to identify qualified candidates, and urge them to submit an application through my Office at the following hyperlink: https://www.fja.gc.ca/scc-csc/2026/form-formulaire-eng.html
Your early attention to this matter is much appreciated as the deadline to submit an application for consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada is April 27, 2026, at 23:59 PDT.
Yours truly,
Marc A. Giroux
Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
