OTTAWA—The jury’s out on the judges. As Justin Trudeau again refused to apologize Thursday after ethics commissioner Mario Dion found the prime minister violated the conflict of interest law by attempting to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, some critics turned their attention to the role played in the affair by three former Supreme Court of Canada judges. Dion’s damning report put the blame squarely on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s shoulders for pressuring his former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to cut a deal to allow the Quebec engineering firm to escape criminal conviction. But the report released Wednesday also shone a harsh light on the conduct of retired justices Frank Iacobucci and John Major and former chief justice Beverley McLachlin, who got involved to differing extents at the company’s behest.And it has prompted new calls for tougher guidelines for former judges.Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former Saskatchewan provincial court judge who now practises and teaches law, said there is “probably a need to have some kind of an arm’s-length vetting process,” perhaps involving an executive officer of the Supreme Court, to ensure requests made of former judges are “consistent with the public office” of the country’s top court.The judges weren’t the main focus of the report, she said, but their actions raise concerns for public confidence in the administration of justice.“They are minor players in this case, but, at the same time, unfortunately, it has left something of a stain on that institution that they could sort of take a step out the door and so quickly be in a role of advocacy.”Major, who authored a legal opinion for SNC-Lavalin that said the public prosecutor was wrong to refuse to offer reasons for refusing a mediated settlement with SNC-Lavalin, disagreed.He said the company was, as a result of changes the Trudeau government introduced, ...
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