Open this photo in gallery: Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to journalists during an availability in Mississauga, Ont., on April 30.Chris Young/The Canadian Press Ontario Premier Doug Ford – calling judicial independence “a joke” – says he supports U.S.-style elected judges and that many on the bench are “bleeding hearts” afflicted by “ideology,” who allow too many accused criminals out on bail and overrule his government on bike lanes or other issues. On Wednesday, the Premier launched into what he himself described as a “rant” while speaking to reporters at an announcement at Peel Police headquarters in Mississauga. His comments raised questions about his government’s commitment to an independent judiciary and the ability of courts to review whether legislation violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “We get elected democratically. Last time I checked, there hasn’t been any judges elected. Maybe that’s the problem. We should do what the U.S. does. Let’s start electing our judges, holding them accountable. And that’s my rant for the day. Because I‘ve just had it,” the Premier said. Mr. Ford‘s government pledged this week to bring in additional changes to Ontario’s judicial appointments process for lower-court judges. Other alterations it has already made in recent years have been criticized by many in the legal profession for allowing for more political inference and undermining a long-established system meant to minimize it. But the proposal as announced did not include upending Canadian traditions and importing the U.S. practice of electing judges. In his comments on Wednesday, Mr. Ford also suggested that Ontario should take over responsibility for the Criminal Code, which establishes most criminal offences and criminal procedures, from the federal government. And he vowed to fight a recent court injunction that temporarily blocked his move to override Toronto’s municipal government and rip out bike lanes, pending the final result of a Charter case launched by cyclists who warn the decision could result in deaths or injuries. While he claimed to be a “strong believer in our judicial system,” Mr. Ford said it was “out of control” with accused criminals getting out on bail multiple times and committing more violent crimes. He vowed to hire “tough on crime” judges and justices of the peace. “The system is broken. And there’s a lot of terrible, terrible bleeding heart judges out there,” the Premier said, stressing some judges and the province’s chief justices were good and qualified. “Once these judges get into their position, they have this sense of entitlement. That’s what drives me crazy,” Mr. Ford told reporters. “We were democratically elected as a government. And I always say, you know, I always say, the legislature is supreme, meaning the people are supreme. When you get a mandate to do something you can’t have judges constantly overruling a government.” “I have an idea. … Why don’t we have, the next election, the PC Party, the Liberal Party, the NDP party, the Green Party and the judges party? Because they overturn everything, right down to the bikes lanes,” Mr. Ford said. “We get democratically elected, and some judge slaps an injunction on bike lanes. Don’t the judges have anything better to do than worry about if we‘re taking out bike lanes?” Mr. Ford said, charging that the decision was made “not because of law, because of their ideology.” “What right do they have, an unelected, politically appointed judges [sic], determining, determining our budgets? Because decisions judges have made in the past have cost us $10-billion,” Mr. Ford, said not elaborating on the decisions to which he was referring. After the comments, Mr. Ford‘s Attorney-General, Doug Downey, added: “You should see what he says in private.” Mr. Downey said he would appoint judges from the candidates recommended by the appointments committee who “understand where community sentiment is at.” Answering a follow-up question, Mr. Ford acknowledged that the justice system and the Criminal Code fall under the federal government. But he suggested the names of judges who allow people out on bail who subsequently commit offences should be posted online. He asked if judges should call the families of people murdered by accused criminal they released on bail. And he said he would offer to pay judges he deems “bleeding hearts” to retire earlier. Asked about the notion of judicial independence, he called it a joke. “That’s a joke as far as I‘m concerned,” Mr. Ford said. “ … There’s no judge appointed anywhere in this country, anywhere in the United States, anywhere in the world that’s not a political appointment. Simple as that. You think these judges just come out of the blue? You think the appointments from the federal government, do you think that the Liberal government for the last 10 years is going to appoint a Conservative-minded tough-on-crime judge? Not a chance. Not a chance.”