Canadian Judicial Council reports on its Semi-Annual Fall Meeting
Canada’s Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices held their semi-annual meeting this week, again by videoconference due to the pandemic.
The Chief Justice of Canada and Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council, the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, took the opportunity to thank all those who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure that Canadians continue to have access to justice. “I am proud of the work of the members of the judiciary, who have ensured that the health and safety of all court users are protected during the pandemic, while upholding the fundamental values of our justice system,” Chief Justice Wagner noted.
During their meeting, Council members discussed a number of issues of relevance to trial and appeal courts, which included recalling the work of the Action Committee on court operations in response to COVID-19. Members also approved resolutions on a variety of topics, including those in support of judicial education.
Council members were also pleased to hear from the new Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Mr. François Daigle. The Council remains committed to continued dialogue with the Government in the spirit of fostering transparency, efficiency and accountability, with a view to maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice, and safeguarding judicial independence. Specifically, Council urges the Government to move ahead with the proposed reforms to the judicial conduct process, for the benefit of all Canadians. It also looks forward to signing with the government two memoranda of understanding, one related to the governance of the Council, the other to judicial education.
The Canadian Judicial Council is committed to ensuring that Canada has a highly trained, professional and independent judiciary. It will soon be publishing a commemorative report entitled 50 Years of Service to Canadians. “This report will herald Council’s commitment to openness and to provide regular updates on its work”, concluded Chief Justice Wagner.
Contact:
Johanna Laporte
Director of Communications
info@cjc-ccm.ca