Canadian Press NewsAlert: High court says no to unilateral Senate reform

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Veritas (Truth) guards the entrance of the Supreme Court of Canada as the Peace tower is seen in the background on Friday April 25, 2014 in Ottawa. The court has shot down Harper\'s hopes of a quick fix for the scandal-plagued Senate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA – The Supreme Court has shot down Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s hopes of a quick fix for Canada’s scandal-plagued Senate.

The top court says Harper’s plans to impose terms limits on senators and to create a “consultative election” process for choosing nominees can’t be done by the federal government alone.

Rather, the reforms would require constitutional amendments approved by at least seven provinces representing 50 per cent of the population – a process fraught with political landmines which Harper had hoped to avoid.

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