OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has begun the search for a new Supreme Court of Canada justice.

Qualified candidates interested in the job, who must be functionally bilingual and demonstrate a relationship with Western or Northern Canada, will have until July 21 to apply. 

A non-partisan advisory board is then expected to pick a shortlist of candidates to present to Trudeau.

The vacancy was created when former justice Russell Brown resigned from the top court earlier this month, ending a probe into allegations of misconduct related to an event in late January.

Brown has vigorously denied accusations that he was intoxicated and harassed a group of friends after an event at a Scottsdale, Ariz., resort hotel.

The Canadian Judicial Council ended its review when Brown stepped down, saying it no longer had jurisdiction to investigate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2023.

The Canadian Press