OTTAWA — Louise Charron and Rosalie Abella were formally appointed Monday as judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, following a much-criticized vetting process last week.

Prime Minister Paul Martin praised the new procedure under which a committee of MPs and legal experts considered the names he put forward to fill two vacancies on the nine-member court.

"In using a more transparent approach to nominate these appointees, we have provided Canadians with a greater understanding of the selection process and the qualities of those nominated to our top court," Martin said in a news release.

Critics said the procedure amounted to little more than a rubber stamp. The committee approved Martin's choices on Friday but also said that in future it would like more time to consider nominees.

Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, in a separate statement Monday, welcomed Charron and Abella and praised them as "judges of the highest ability and integrity."

The two new appointees, who previously served on the Ontario Court of Appeal, will bring the Supreme Court up to full strength for a busy fall siting that begins in October with a landmark hearing on same-sex marriage.