Last Updated: Monday, December 22, 2008 | 2:40 PM AT CBC News"Stephen Harper has officially appointed Thomas Cromwell of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, bypassing a parliamentary hearing process the prime minister has championed to more openly scrutinize nominees.
The appointment came the same day Harper named 18 people to the Senate.
'The Supreme Court must have its full complement of nine judges in order to execute its vital constitutional mandate effectively,' Harper said in a statement on Monday. 'Not only is Justice Cromwell one of Canada's most respected jurists, his appointment will also restore regional balance to the Court which now, once again, has an Atlantic Canadian representative.'
Cromwell replaces Michel Bastarache, who told the cheif justice that he would retire at the end of the court's spring session."
Congratulations Mr. Cromwell. This is a wonderful achievement on top of an already illustrious career:
"Cromwell, 56, from Kingston, Ont., initially studied music but got his law degree in Ontario in 1976. He practised and taught law, including two stints at the Dalhousie Law School in Halifax. He was the executive legal officer in the chambers of the Supreme Court's chief justice for three years...He first became a Nova Scotia appeals judge in 1997."