Minister Fraser’s Remarks at the Supreme Court of Canada’s 150th Anniversary Ceremonial Opening

Ottawa, Ontario

October 6, 2025

As Delivered

Thank you, Chief Justice, esteemed Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, distinguished guests.

You began posing the question as to who amongst us was here for the opening of the Court nearly four decades ago. I regret to inform you, I was learning to walk at the time, but I’m nevertheless grateful to be here today.

I can’t help but feel how small my presence is by way of contrast to the enormity of the institution that we’re here to celebrate.

Today, we celebrate an anniversary that is not only incredibly important in the history of this institution, but also in the history of our country.

You know, governments come and go over the course of our history, but the Court has remained here for virtually the entirety of the story of Canada.

You have witnessed the admission of the first woman to practise medicine in this country in 1880. You have been here for the driving of the last spike of completing the railway from coast to coast. You have seen many moments of national glory, the great wars of the previous century, the 1972 Summit Series, national heroes like Terry Fox working towards his Marathon of Hope, and more recently, challenges, even a global pandemic.

But what to me is far more important than the history the Court has borne witness to is the history that it has helped shape over time. I think back to my first year as a law student. The reverence with which my classmates and I shared for this very institution. Though we knew the cases by name, I have come to appreciate in my role as a Member of Parliament the importance of the values that underpin those cases.

When we heard the name Roncarelli, we didn’t necessarily appreciate it at the time, but the notion of the rule of law as underpinning the very fabric of our nation’s society, I think to myself of the principles of democracy that can be found throughout many decisions of the Court, ensuring that everyone in this country has a stake in electing their decision makers.

I think to myself about the framework with which we operate, understanding the roles of provinces and territories and the federal government working alongside one another. And I think, importantly, about the abundance of cases recognizing and affirming the inherent and Treaty rights of Indigenous peoples who form a key part of this country, and recognizing that all citizens are equal before the law, regardless of the colour of our skin, the god that we pray to or the person that we love.

Though it’s important to reflect on our history, I think we should spend as much time thinking about the future of the Court.

I look at the future of our country with a lot of concern—for one simple reason. Our democracy is not certain. If we want to have a democracy for future generations, we must work tirelessly, today, to defend our country, defend the independence of this institution, defend the law in general.

It's too common that we see around the world some of the norms which we have held most sacred for many, many decades being slowly eroded.

On the global stage, we see trading relationships fraying that we have taken for granted too often. We see members of the United Nations Security Council in open defiance of some of the norms that we have accepted as paramount: territorial integrity, sovereignty of nations, self-determination of peoples.

We see easily the temptation of political actors around the world and at home to give in to calls to give away the rights of another person, to weaken our institutions in a moment of political expediency.

It is very, very easy to give away the rights of other people but it is when it is most difficult that it becomes most important that we stand ardent in defence of the need for the law to protect those who do not have a voice to protect themselves.

Where we see democratic decline, the antidote will not necessarily be found on the other place atop Parliament Hill, but instead in the laws that are guided by the values that we hold most dear.

If we expect someone else to do this work for us, we would be making an enormous mistake. This for all of us, elected officials, justices of the Supreme Court, ordinary Canadians to stand up and take ownership of our democracy.

I fear that we will succumb one day to the erosion of our rights bit by bit until they are gone; until we reach a moment where there is no one left to defend our rights. It is so essential that we respect the ability of the Court to do its jobs with whatever challenges we may face of a political nature.

Now, I hold the view that it’s completely acceptable for the Court to recognize that as times change, the beliefs of Canadians change; and so, too, ideas the Court may consider can change.

But as we see these shifting circumstances, it is important to recognize that the values that underpin our Constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the values that underpin the very notion of the rule of law remain at the central focus of our debates, not only in Parliament but the arguments they hear in this Court.

I appreciate the opportunity to be here to celebrate this institution.

And I think it’s okay for us to enjoy this, but I think, after we leave here today, we need to commit ourselves to defending the institution for the long term.

By doing the hard work of ensuring the Supreme Court is here 150 years from now, we will at the same time be ensuring Canada remains the True North, Strong and Free 150 years later.

Thank you. It is a great pleasure.