{"id":31122,"date":"2025-10-06T19:10:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T19:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/?p=31122"},"modified":"2025-10-06T19:37:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T19:37:49","slug":"rule-of-law-judicial-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/?p=31122","title":{"rendered":"Rule of Law &amp; Judicial Independence&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20220207160220-62018d6fd04738a9644436cejpeg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20220207160220-62018d6fd04738a9644436cejpeg.jpg 700w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20220207160220-62018d6fd04738a9644436cejpeg-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20220207160220-62018d6fd04738a9644436cejpeg-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13f2f6b4d3e4cdae55cc2a9a3392e1d5\" style=\"color:#ab1008\"><strong><em>Chief Justice Richard Wagner<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-22bdcadbe8342a2a6edf9f8e32eaee0e\" style=\"color:#035a95\"><blockquote><p><br><strong>Chief justice says rule of law, judicial independence defend Canada from autocracy<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Paiter-CDN-Supreme-Court.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Paiter-CDN-Supreme-Court.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Paiter-CDN-Supreme-Court-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Paiter-CDN-Supreme-Court-768x548.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b612eac5c78112248fa0c00f473dd122\" style=\"color:#ab0e06\"><strong><em>Court Painter &amp; Supreme Court of Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-55bb39be8ed4467f3f28e6cf7b882c37\" style=\"color:#0565a5\">OTTAWA &#8212; Chief Justice Richard Wagner says that while Canada is not a superpower in the traditional sense of the word, it is certainly a democratic superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-76ea7a0c91762f68fd18d625a8ff5ac4\" style=\"color:#0565a5\">Wagner told dignitaries at the Supreme Court of Canada today that the country&#8217;s legal community is united in a deep conviction that the rule of law and judicial independence are not abstract concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-30b9f85ac8f4f59b63bd4e5df8fb3fa5\" style=\"color:#0565a5\">He said these tenets are the best defence against tyranny and autocracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-fb2b2abe1ddf11d93ead30b02c27f4df\" style=\"color:#0565a5\">Wagner addressed today&#8217;s ceremonial opening of the top court&#8217;s judicial year &#8212; the first such event since September 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-2ac287865c244fb1c9ae8064002b0316\" style=\"color:#096aaa\">Justice Minister Sean Fraser, lawyers, academics and students joined former members of the court and its staff for the occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-c6974f43d87097f6f89f7b766951b0bb\" style=\"color:#044d7e\"><strong><em>As the Supreme Court marks its 150th anniversary, Wagner called on participants to affirm the principles of the rule of law, judicial independence and equal access to justice.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bd5a03af8e889183bb154a7f80de2a26\" style=\"color:#5e0602\"><strong><em>This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2025.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6acd7ad233864bfd6e7dda96b3b038b3e8e8cd2e8dedfe2ecf071b8aff223ceb-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31123\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7836d75de706aa60eeb60cc4740fe7b5\" style=\"color:#0366a8\">Supreme Court of Canada Justices Malcolm Row, left to right, Michelle O&#8217;Bonsawin, Andromache Karakatsanis, Nicholas Kasirer, Richard Wagner, Mahmud Jamal, Suzanne Cote, Mary T. Moreau, and Sheilah L. Martin wear their new robes as they take part in the Official Bench Photo in the Judges&#8217; Conference Room at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. <strong><em>THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Sean Kilpatrick<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Painter-Chief-Justice-Richard-Wagner.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Painter-Chief-Justice-Richard-Wagner.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Painter-Chief-Justice-Richard-Wagner-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Court-Painter-Chief-Justice-Richard-Wagner-768x548.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2d9d32e0990d03ded0ac2cfb7bfcb904\" style=\"color:#920c05\">Court Painter &amp; <strong><em>Chief Justice Richard Wagner<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chief Justice Richard Wagner Chief justice says rule of law, judicial independence defend Canada from autocracy Court Painter &amp; Supreme Court of Canada OTTAWA &#8212; Chief Justice Richard Wagner says that while Canada is not a superpower in the traditional sense of the word, it is certainly a democratic superpower. Wagner told dignitaries at the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/?p=31122\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Rule of Law &amp; Judicial Independence&#8230;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","hentry","category-images","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31122"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31133,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31122\/revisions\/31133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allanhardingmackay.ca\/courtpainter\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}