Richard Wagner becomes new Chief Justice of Canada
Ottawa, Dec 12 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Justice Richard Wagner as the country's new Chief Justice on Tuesday, media reports said.
Justice Wagner has replaced Beverley McLachlin as the top judge of Canada.
Trudeau made the announcement and he was quoted by Toronto Star: "It is an honour to name the Honourable Richard Wagner as the new Chief Justice of Canada."
"I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the highest court of Canada, an institution with a long and respected history of judicial independence and excellence. The judiciary, the legal profession, and all Canadians will be well served by his dedication to upholding the laws and Constitution upon which this country is founded.," the PM added.
Though Trudeau had greatly favoured a woman judge, a woman in any top post more precisely, he finally backed down in this case, reports said.
One of the main reasons for not appointing Rosalie Abella (71) as the Chief Justice because the post will once again fall vacant after three to four years from now on after her retirement.
Wagner will earn $405,400 after his elevation.
Wagner, a father of two children, is a full bilingual Quebecker.
A Montreal-born new Chief Justice Wagner is a former commercial and civil law lawyer.
Wagner's appointment was pressed by the Bar of Montreal and the Quebec National Assembly to Trudeau to stick to the practice of choosing judges from Quebec and rest of Canada alternatively.
The practice, however, is not always followed and Trudeau's own father did not adhere to the norm when he was the Canadian PM.
(Reporting by Suman Das)
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