Carney appoints Glenn Joyal, King’s Court of Manitoba Chief Justice, to Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa March 4, 2026. The building will be undergoing renovations for approximately 10 years starting later this year. Photo by Blair Gable /Postmedia

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OTTAWA — Manitoba Superior Court Chief Justice Glenn Joyal is the newest member of the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday morning.

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Carney made the much-awaited announcement Monday morning. Joyal fills the vacancy left behind by Sheilah Martin, who retired from the apex court on May 30.

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“Throughout his career, Chief Justice Joyal has demonstrated the integrity, experience, and sound judgment that service on our highest court demands. I am confident that he will serve Canadians with distinction,” Carney said in the statement.

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Last week, National Post reported that Joyal was the favourite of the two final candidates being considered by Carney for the latest Supreme Court (SCC) vacancy. The other top candidate was Anna Loparco of the King’s Court of Alberta.

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Joyal’s appointment is Carney’s first to the country’s top court since he became prime minister last spring.

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Joyal’s name has long circulated as a potential Supreme Court pick for one of the court’s two seats traditionally reserved for a candidate from Western Canada.

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After his application to the top court in 2017 was controversially leaked to media, Joyal confirmed in 2019 to The Canadian Press that he had applied but had withdrawn his application due to his wife’s health issues.

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He is well known in and outside of judicial circles and is an outspoken chief justice on issues impacting his court, such as French-language services, judicial independence and Indigenous access to justice. Earlier this year, he argued that judges shouldn’t be afraid to speak up in defence of the judiciary.

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Last month, Joyal released a landmark decision finding that the federal and Manitoba governments had breached First Nations’ rights to self-governance on the issue of child welfare.

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More to come.

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National Post

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