Latest news with #ruleOfLaw
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Rule of law, judges ‘under attack' in many countries, Canada's chief justice says
Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner holds a news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — Chief Justice Richard Wagner says the rule of law and judicial independence are 'under attack' in many countries around the world. Wagner told a news conference today that when a government maligns the media, judges, lawyers and universities, it could be a sign of dictatorship or an autocratic regime. Wagner says while Canadians should not take anything for granted, they have reason to be optimistic about the legal system in their country. He says Canada, unlike many other countries, has a strong judicial system with good lawyers and well-trained, impartial judges governed by ethical principles. Wagner says the main 'stakeholders' in Canada respect judicial independence and are happy to live in a country where the rule of law prevails. But he stresses the importance of defending the roles played by the courts and the media outlets that cover judicial proceedings. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025. Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
CBC
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Asked about the U.S., Supreme Court of Canada chief justice says rule of law is 'under attack' worldwide
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's contentious relationship with parts of the American judiciary, Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner said Tuesday "the rule of law and judicial independence is under attack" around the world. Speaking to reporters at his annual news conference on Parliament Hill, Wagner said if a government attacks the media, judges, lawyers and universities — as Trump and his associates have done in recent weeks — there's a good chance it's "a dictatorship" and an "autocratic government." Wagner said Canadians must be "prudent" and preserve their institutions, including a judicial system where rulings are respected by elected officials. "We have to be careful, but be optimistic as well. "In Canada we have a strong legal system," he said. "We have to defend those institutions. We should not take anything for granted." Wagner said, throughout his cross-country travels, "everybody asks me the same question" about whether what's going on in the U.S. courts system will bleed over into Canada. What's different in Canada, Wagner said, is that the "main stakeholders" here "respect separation of powers and judicial independence and are happy to live in a country where the rule of law will prevail." "Canada is not a superpower. But it is a democratic superpower. In this country, the rule of law is non-negotiable," he said. In his second term as president, Trump is pushing an ambitious but constitutionally dubious agenda that has been held back by some judicial rulings. The president has slammed some judges on social media — complaining about a "radicalized and incompetent court system" in one recent post — and threatened others with impeachment or removal from office. When one federal judge ordered a temporary halt to the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, Trump said it was the actions of a "radical left lunatic of a judge, a troublemaker and agitator" who should be off the bench. In hundreds of cases before the U.S. court system, judges have delayed or stymied his efforts to close some federal agencies, pursue mass layoffs of federal workers, block foreign aid, end birthright citizenship for people born on American soil, deport undocumented migrants and slap tariffs on countries such as Canada. After the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down parts of Trump's tariffs regime, saying the president overstepped his constitutional authority by imposing sweeping levies on global goods, one of his top advisors, Stephen Miller, said, "The judicial coup is out of control." Trump has had some legal victories, especially at the U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three justices appointed by him. Late last month, the top court let Trump's administration revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants living in the United States, bolstering the Republican president's drive to step up deportations. A Trump official said that ruling was "a victory for the American people."
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's justice minister urges new senior counsel to defend rule of law
Hong Kong's top judge has called for the newly minted senior counsel to defend the rule of law when it is under threat and ensure 'unimpeded' access to the city's courts for every individual, to safeguard public trust in the legal system. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who spoke separately at the senior counsel admission ceremony on Saturday, urged the new silks to tackle three challenges facing the profession in the use of artificial intelligence, synergy with mainland China's legal system, and maintaining the city's image of its rule of law. Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung laid down his expectations at the ceremony on Saturday that saw the admission of three senior counsel, namely Catrina Lam Ting-wan, Priscilia Lam Tsz-ying and Timothy Edward David Parker. 'You are expected to speak with courage and conviction where the rule of law is threatened, to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and integrity, both inside and outside the courtroom,' he said. The judge also urged senior counsel to be 'vigilant' in ensuring 'unimpeded access' to the courts for all individuals, saying such access would affect public trust in the city's legal system. 'These are not abstract ideals, but living principles that underpin the public's trust in our legal system, both within Hong Kong and beyond,' Cheung said.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UN rights chief demands US withdraw sanctions on ICC judges
GENEVA: The United Nations human rights chief on Friday demanded the United States lift sanctions it imposed on four International Criminal Court judges, saying they were contrary to the rule of law.'I call for the prompt reconsideration and withdrawal of these latest measures,' Volker Turk said in a statement to media. 'Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood.'
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Hong Kong appoints New Zealand judge to top court
Sir William Young. Photo: NZ Government A New Zealand judge has been appointed as a justice of Hong Kong's top court, after a years-long exodus of overseas jurists following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping security law on the finance hub. Hong Kong's lawmakers on Wednesday approved the appointment of Sir William Young, 73, to join five other overseas non-permanent justices from the UK and Australia. Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction separate from mainland China and invites overseas judges to hear cases at its Court of Final Appeal. Their presence has been seen as a bellwether for the rule of law since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. Beijing passed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city the year before. Since then, several overseas judges have quit the Court of Final Appeal without finishing their terms, while others have not renewed their appointments. The lineup of overseas judges has gone from 15 at its peak down to five, not including Young. The newly appointed justice, who retired from his role as a New Zealand Supreme Court judge in April 2022, is expected to start in Hong Kong this month. Hong Kong leader John Lee accepted a recommendation to appoint Young in May and praised him as "a judge of eminent standing and reputation". Cases at the top court in Hong Kong are typically heard by a panel of four local judges and a fifth ad hoc member, who may be a foreign judge. In January, Hong Kong's chief justice said recruiting suitable overseas judges "may be less straightforward than it once was", given geopolitical headwinds. The government has defended the security law as necessary to restore order after the 2019 protests and said the city remains a well-respected legal hub. -AFP
