Prime Minister Paul Martin has appointed two judges to the Supreme Court, saying that the new review process that lasted less than a week was "transparent."
Mr. Martin said that the Governor General has approved his recommendation and that Madam Justice Louise Charron and Madam Justice Rosalie Abella would be appointed to the top court effective immediately.
"I am pleased to appoint these two outstanding individuals to sit on the highest court of the land," Mr. Martin said in a statement.
"I also believe that in using a more transparent approach to nominate these appointees, we have provided Canadians with a greater understanding of the selection process and the qualities of those nominated to our top court."
Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin sent out a statement Monday saying she was pleased with the Prime Minister's decision."Madam Justice Abella and Madam Justice Charron are judges of the highest ability and integrity," she said in a statement.
"Each brings to the Supreme Court a vast experience on the Bench and a profound commitment to the rule of law. I am certain that the contribution of these two distinguished jurists to the work of this Court will be a source of pride for all Canadians."
Justices Abella and Charron will be sworn in as new judges during a public and official ceremony to be held in the courtroom of the Supreme Court of Canada at a date to be determined, prior to the commencement of the fall session.
The majority on a nine-member ad hoc committee of MPs and legal experts issued a report to Mr. Martin on Friday, saying they would endorse his appointment of the two nominees.
But two Conservative MPs refused to sign off on the inaugural parliamentary review of Supreme Court nominees, saying the process made it impossible for them to reach a conclusion about the qualifications of the two jurists put forward by the Martin government.
Tory MPs Peter MacKay, who is his party's deputy leader, and Vic Toews issued a dissenting report, condemning the historic hearing this week as an "afterthought."
The two Conservatives, like the overall ad hoc committee, said criticized the Martin government for rushing through the review.
The Supreme Court has a busy fall agenda that includes the government's controversial case to determine whether its draft legislation for same-sex marriage is constitutional.
The nine-member ad hoc committee included three Liberal MPs, two Tory MPs, one Bloc Québécois MP, one NDP MP, and two legal experts.
The court nominees were announced a day before the televised hearings were held on Wednesday. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler was the only witness and some panel members complained there was a lack of information on the judges.
