A Calgary judge is drawing criticism after taking a shot at the Trump administration's efforts to curb drug trafficking through targeted strikes on alleged narco boats.

Justice Harry Van Harten weighed in on the issue in the case of a woman accused of trafficking fentanyl, citing an article published by a history professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo lamenting “the indiscriminate use of military force to kill people without regard to the rules of marine, martial, international, and American law.”

On Wednesday's Buffalo Roundtable, Rebel News' weekly Western Canada focused livestream, hosts Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle said the judge's light sentence for the accused trafficker and needless geopolitical commentary highlighted the need for judges to be accountable to voters.

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“This judge is showing us the exact reason why we have to have elected judges in the new country,” said Lise, suggesting this was an area that would need to be addressed were Alberta and/or Saskatchewan to separate from Canada.

“If you don't serve the people, you'll no longer be a judge in the new country.”

The justice discussing the inequalities faced by street-level dealers and pharmaceutical companies “is irrelevant” to the court case in question, Sheila said. “Sixty grams of carfentanil in a casino parking lot, that's for personal use?” she continued, questioning Van Harten's assertion that the accused was not involved in trafficking.

“Elect the judges in the new country,” she said.