Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin to retire May 30

Justice Sheilah Martin announced she will retire from the Supreme Court of Canada, with her last day on May 30, after nearly eight years on the bench.

Justice Sheilah Martin announced she will retire from the Supreme Court of Canada, with her last day on May 30. She has served on the court for nearly eight years and will retire as she turns 70. Chief Justice Richard Wagner praised her legal scholarship, commitment to fairness, and principled approach in a statement. Martin previously served as dean of the University of Calgary law school and worked as a criminal and constitutional litigator. Key facts: - Justice Martin announced her retirement on Tuesday and will leave the court on May 30. - She has served on the Supreme Court for nearly eight years and will retire at age 70, five years before the mandatory retirement age of 75. - Martin served as dean of the University of Calgary law school and was a criminal and constitutional litigator. - She was appointed to Alberta's superior court in 2005, elevated to the province's Court of Appeal in 2016, and named to the Supreme Court in 2017. - The vacancy creates the first opportunity for Prime Minister Mark Carney to appoint a justice to the Supreme Court, and by convention the successor will likely come from Western Canada. - Recent practice has emphasized fully bilingual candidates; in 2023 the advisory board recommended only two bilingual candidates for a vacancy. Summary: Martin's retirement creates a Supreme Court vacancy and will allow Prime Minister Mark Carney to make the next appointment. By convention the replacement is likely to come from Western Canada, and bilingual requirements have affected the pool of recommended candidates in recent appointments.