Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Stephen Harper's Ghastly Supreme Court Appointment



Well I see that Stephen Harper is determined to prove he can chew gum, padlock Parliament, corrupt the Senate, AND degrade the Supreme Court all at the same time.

For what else are we to conclude from this ghastly appointment?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced the nomination of Justice Marc Nadon to the Supreme Court of Canada.

“I am pleased to announce the nomination of Mr. Justice Nadon, whose extraordinary body of legal work…​ makes him an ideal candidate for the Supreme Court of Canada,” Harper said a written release Monday.

When he couldn't find a qualified woman. Nadon's qualifications were so debatable the Supreme Court had to rule on whether they were acceptable. The appointment is clearly ideological. 

Canada’s newest Supreme Court judge, plucked from the semi-retired list, adds conservative tendencies to a growing conservative tilt on the country’s highest court.

“I’m a bit surprised because the name wasn’t one of those we expected,” said Hugo Cyr, a law professor at the University of Quebec at Montreal. “But I think he’s a judge who tends to be very deferential to decisions made by the executive, so it makes sense coming from that government.”

And Nadon's record speaks for itself.

Twelve years ago he ruled that the Rwandan war criminal Leon Mugesera was not really a war criminal.

A ruling that was overturned by an 8-0 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada.

During the 2011 election campaign he ruled that Elizabeth May could not participate in the televised leaders' debates.

And no doubt this was the decision that earned him his new job...



In 2009, in a 2-1 judgment, the Federal Appeal Court upheld a ruling that ordered the Canadian government to press for the return of Omar Khadr from a U.S. military detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a dissenting opinion, Nadon wrote, "It is clear that Canada has decided not to seek Mr. Khadr’s repatriation at the present time. Why Canada has taken that position is, in my respectful view, not for us to criticize or inquire into.

Nadon also wrote that Canada had used "all necessary means at its disposal" to protect Khadr and that the only possible steps for the government were the ones that it took through diplomatic channels.

Even though the Cons had done NOTHING to help or protect Omar Khadr from being held and tortured at Guantanamo. Even though Khadr's detention violated international law on the treatment of child soldiers, and Canadian law on the treatment of juvenile offenders.

And even though his treatment by the so-called Canadian government and assorted CSIS agents was an absolute ABOMINATION...



And one of the most shameful episodes in modern Canadian history.

But then what do we expect eh? When Stephen Harper corrupts everything he touches.

Once we could count on the Supreme Court to uphold our values.

But not any longer....



Con Canada. Don't you just love it eh?

Defeat this shabby right-wing thug.

Before he corrupts us further...

Click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Initially, the poor kid thought the CSIS agents had come to help him. But eventually he understood the real purpose of their visit. Interrogation.

The Harperites are poisoning everything in Canada. I am ashamed of them.

Anonymous said...

Not surprised from a Prime Minister that uses potty diplomacy. Too bad we couldn't lock him in an outhouse and throw it off a cliff.

Robert said...

We have added your blog to our "Around The Blog" section at looniepolitics.com.

Anonymous said...

am surprised he hasn't appointed himself to the supreme court....probably will when Justin wins....heehaws!!!