Ottaw, May 20 -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday announced the members of an independent advisory board tasked with identifying candidates to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court of Canada.

The vacancy will arise following the retirement of Justice Sheilah L. Martin on May 30, after serving on the country's top court since 2017.

According to the government, the board will assess candidates based on merit, bilingualism and their ability to reflect Canada's diversity, while respecting the convention of regional representation for Western and Northern Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada consists of nine judges appointed by the federal government. Candidates must either be current or former superior court judges or ...