QUEBEC CITY - The Charest government has introduced new rules for how judges are selected in the province after a report warned the process was vulnerable to influence-peddling.
The new interim rules announced Monday are based on recommendations made in the Bastarache report on allegations of political influence into Quebec's selection of judges.
Under the new rules, political staff will no longer get to see a judge's application, which means no "post-it" notes indicating a candidate's political allegiance, as was mentioned during the hearings.
Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier said he's trying to be faithful to the spirit of the Bastarache report, and protect his selections from political influence.
The premier will still get a final veto in the selection of a judge.
The Opposition Parti Quebecois argues that puts the selection process back where it started, before the Bastarache inquiry.
