Malcolm Rowe, newest Supreme Court justice, formally welcomed to the job

— Was part of the teams that handled disputes over the determination of Canada’s Atlantic maritime boundaries and overfishing on the Grand Banks. Also involved in the negotiation of a new United Nations convention on high seas fisheries.

— In 1996, he became clerk of the executive council and secretary to the cabinet in Newfoundland and Labrador. He worked on a constitutional amendment that replaced Newfoundland and Labrador’s denominational school system with a secular one.

— Was appointed to the trial division of the provincial Supreme Court in 1999 and elevated to the Appeal Court in 2001.

Other: Lectured in public and constitutional law at the University of Ottawa law school in the early 1990s. Has been a member of the Council of the Canadian Superior Courts Judges’ Association since 2005. Chair of the advisory committee on federal judicial appointments for Newfoundland and Labrador from 2006 to 2012. Worked with Action Canada, a youth leadership development program, as an adviser, mentor and member of the national selection committee from 2002 to 2016.

Supreme Court: Nominated to the court by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Oct. 17, 2016. Sworn on Oct. 31.

Quote: “The Supreme Court maintains and develops the structure of law in Canada. Stability and predictability are important to maintain that structure. But, adaptation to changes in society, including changes in shared goals, is critical to the law’s development. It is important to operate from first principles, while also considering practical results. It is no less important to eschew ideological positions. Should the court lead or mirror a shared sense of justice? The answer is, of course, both. Generally, it should lead when the time is ripe to do so, having regard to the needs and aspirations of Canadians.” — From the questionnaire Rowe filled out in applying for the Supreme Court appointment.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Malcolm Rowe, newest Supreme Court justice, formally welcomed to the job

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