OTTAWA – Justice Malcolm Rowe has been formally appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Rowe, a former justice of the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal, was nominated to the court last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

He is the first justice appointed under a new process brought in by the Trudeau government in which people were asked to apply for the job and be vetted by an independent advisory board.

He was questioned by senators and MPs following his nomination.

The new justice was appointed a trial judge in 1999 and moved to the appeal court in 2001.

During his career, he worked in private practice and for both the federal government and the Newfoundland government, where he handled both constitutional and international matters.

Trudeau praised both Rowe’s accomplishments and the new selection process in announcing his appointment.

“The appointment of this remarkable legal expert is the culmination of a new more open, non-partisan selection process which is yet another example of democracy in action,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“I wish Justice Rowe every success in the new job and look forward to seeing his rulings on important issues affecting Canadians.”

Rowe replaces Justice Thomas Cromwell, who retired from the Supreme Court of Canada on Sept. 1.