The cabinet appointed on Monday former Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman and a former Ontario Liberal legislator to serve as judges.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, these recent judicial appointments continue a trend of rewarding individuals who have close ties to the Liberal Party and those who have donated to the party.“I wish Justice Bowman every success,” Attorney General Arif Virani said in a statement. “I am confident he will serve Manitobans.”Bowman was appointed as a judge on the Manitoba Court of King's Bench.Justin Trudeau, in his last meeting with then-Mayor Bowman in 2022, “conveyed his best wishes and thanked him for his partnership following his decision not to seek re-election,” according to a statement issued at the time by the Prime Minister’s Office.On Monday, the cabinet also appointed Nathalie DesRosiers as an Ontario Superior Court judge. Before her appointment, DesRosiers had served as a member of the Liberal Party in the Ontario legislature (Ottawa Vanier, ON).As the dean of the University of Ottawa law faculty, DesRosiers co-edited the book Putting the State on Trial, which critically examined how official authorities managed the G20 riot in Toronto in 2010.The appointments made on Monday were part of a series of promotions for individuals who had connections to the cabinet and also donated to the Liberal Party.In 2021, Jill Presser, a former Party fundraiser and a known friend of the Prime Minister's chief of staff Katie Telford, was appointed as a judge to the Ontario Superior Court. John Duffy, Presser’s husband, had previously employed Katie Telford as a consultant.In 2022, Mohamed Rahman, a friend of then-Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, was appointed as a judge to the Ontario Superior Court.Mendicino and Rahman had previously worked together as Crown prosecutors.In 2022, Robert Centa, a Toronto lawyer and Liberal Party donor, was appointed to Ontario's Superior Court.In 2021, Michel Bourque, a Calgary lawyer and Liberal Party donor, was appointed to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench.In 2022, Bob Aloneissi, who had donated to the Liberal party, was appointed to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench.In 2020, the then-Attorney General David Lametti appointed Philippe Bélanger from Montréal to the Québec Superior Court. Philippe Bélanger had previously contributed to Lametti's campaign.In 2021, the Commons Justice committee voted 6 to 5 to reject a Conservative proposal to review how partisan vetting affects the selection of judges.“We have a fantastic court system,” Liberal MP James Maloney (Etobicoke-Lakeshore, ON) said at the time.“There are many lawyers in Parliament, but there are many lawyers who are practising in the courts in every jurisdiction in Canada who are active politically. Should that or does that disqualify them from being appointed to the bench? No, of course not. It’s outrageous to suggest that.”
