MacKay defends Nadon appointment to Supreme Court as Senate case looms

OTTAWA – Justice Minister Peter MacKay is defending the controversial appointment of of Marc Nadon to the Supreme Court of Canada.

MacKay says he still strongly supports Nadon’s appointment, even though the squabble about the his eligibility means the high court will be short a judge when it hears the federal government’s crucial Senate reference case next week.

Nadon, a semi-retired Federal Court judge, was appointed by Harper last month to fill one of the three Quebec seats on the Supreme Court, but his eligibility has been challenged by a Toronto lawyer who says Nadon doesn’t meet the all the legal requirements.

A legal expert is blasting the government for not being accountable for the Nadon snafu, but says eight justices can do an adequate job on the Senate case.

University of Ottawa law professor Adam Dodek says the Supreme Court will strive for a unanimous decision to give its ruling more weight.