Complaints received in 2010-11

Canada's judges preside impartially over thousands of matters each year. Of course, errors are sometimes made. In such cases, our system provides for an appeal to a higher Court. In some cases, whether or not a decision is right in law, someone will raise a concern about the conduct of a judge.

There are some 1,200 federally-appointed judges currently serving Canadians. Last year, they collectively decided thousands and thousands of matters raised before the courts. In total, fewer than 200 complaints were made about the conduct of a judge in relation to a court matter. In each case, the Canadian Judicial Council conducted a thorough review.

When Council receives complaints about Court decisions, we make every effort to communicate clearly with the complainants about the difference between judicial conduct and judicial decision-making. We try to write to the complainants in plain language, and give as much information as possible about their concerns. We also make sure we clearly explain our mandate and procedures. Where a judge has failed to uphold the high standards of conduct that Canadians expect, Council takes appropriate measures. All these steps are important to maintain public confidence in the process. Here are a few examples of recent complaints to the Council. Each case was reviewed by a member of the Judicial Conduct Committee of the Council except in Complaint 6, where the member of the Judicial Conduct Committee sent the case to a Panel of five judges for review.