Doug Ford has increasingly made judges a political target, treating attacks on them as a routine talking point. At the recent Premiers’ conference, he called judges “weak-kneed” over bail reform, and in the past he has dismissed judicial independence as a “joke,” floated the idea of electing judges, and vowed to appoint only “like-minded” ones. His rhetoric often intensifies when courts block his government’s actions, from removing bike lanes to curtailing collective bargaining rights.
Criticizing judicial reasoning is legitimate, but Ford’s framing goes further—suggesting that judicial decisions lack legitimacy and are politically motivated. Such claims threaten Canada’s democratic balance of power, which depends on an independent judiciary willing to strike down unconstitutional laws. Indeed, Canada’s core rights—reproductive freedom, equal marriage, due process, protection against unlawful search, and protest rights—exist because judges have enforced constitutional guarantees without political interference.
Ford’s rhetoric echoes Donald Trump’s contempt for the judiciary, which in the U.S. has evolved into open defiance of court orders. The danger, the article warns, is democratic erosion: not an overnight collapse, but a gradual weakening of judicial authority and public trust. In response to such attacks, Ontario’s three Chief Justices issued a rare joint statement affirming that judicial independence is “a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy” and vital to the rule of law.
The piece concludes that while politics may demand strong rhetoric, undermining respect for the courts crosses a dangerous line. Constitutional democracy depends not only on a written Charter but on leaders who respect judicial independence as the safeguard of citizens’ rights.