The Right Hon. John Turner

This interview with former Prime Minister John Turner focuses extensively on his role as Minister of Justice in creating the Federal Court of Canada in 1971 and his system for judicial appointments. Turner describes establishing a formalized relationship with the Canadian Bar Association for judicial appointments, replacing the informal system under Trudeau. He created a committee structure with the CBA to review potential judicial candidates, rating them as ‘highly competent,’ ‘competent,’ or ‘not competent.’

Turner discusses specific Federal Court appointments he made, including detailed assessments of judges like Louis Pratte, Darrel Heald, Frank Collier, and John Urie. He explains his preference for appointing practicing lawyers over academics or civil servants to ensure the court maintained independence from government bias. The interview reveals tensions between the Supreme Court of Canada and the new Federal Court, particularly conflicts between Chief Justice Bora Laskin and Federal Court Chief Justice Wilbur Jackett.

Turner also discusses his early legal career at Stikeman Elliott, appearing before the Exchequer Court in tax and admiralty cases, and his relationship with Deputy Minister Donald Maxwell in developing the Federal Court legislation. He defends the court’s specialized jurisdiction and efficiency while acknowledging some appointments were forced upon him when he became Prime Minister in 1984.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.