OUR NEXT JUDGE.

Newspaper
Year
1884
Month
11
Day
19
Article Title
OUR NEXT JUDGE.
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
The Chignecto Post is out strongly in advocacy of Mr. Landry’s “claims” to the next vacancy in the Supreme Court bench. It says Mr. Landry is honest, and that is certainly a good trait of character for a Judge to possess. It says he is apt and studious, and those also are valuable qualities. We agree with the Post that personally no objections can be made to Mr. Landry’s promotion. But professionally, the same thing cannot be said with truth. A judge of the Supreme court ought to be at least the peer, in point of knowledge of the law and experience, of those who would be most likely to try causes or argue legal questions before him, and this Mr. Landry is not. This is not a pleasant thing to have to say; but is true, and at least one protest should be entered against the appointment to the bench of a gentleman whose sole qualifications are his excellent personal character, his studious turn of mind, his French nationality and his services as a party man. Even the Post says that “en banc Mr. Landry has not hitherto much experience.” Our contemporary might truthfully have said that he has had little or no experience, no doubt for the reason that in the years when he might have been attending to his profession he was engaged in politics. If Mr. Landry had a standing at the bar such as is enjoyed by some gentlemen, who need not be named – a standing acquired by a varied experience in active practice, we would be the first to ask that, in the event of a vacancy on the bench occurring, the educational and social progress, which our Acadian population have made during the last score of years, should be recognized by the appointment of their most prominent man to the vacant place. The Supreme Court Bench is none too strong as it is, and when the occasion arises for a new appointment an effort should be made to strengthen it, by selecting the best man available. It appears hopeless to ask that a selection should be made irrespective of politics; but it fortunately happens that in the dominant party there are several gentlemen, whose knowledge of the law and experience at the Bar fit them to fill a judicial position in an entirely satisfactory manner, and whose personal character and record are equally as good as that of Mr. Landry. We sincerely hope that whatever else may influence appointments to the Supreme Court Bench, the fact that a man’s father was a Frenchman will not have more weight than professional fitness for the position.