Council Committees

Members of Council work together on initiatives to promote the excellence and independence of the judiciary. While the Council is best known for its role in investigating matters of judicial conduct, its mandate is far broader and also includes ensuring continuing education for federally appointed judges, as well as the overall improvement of the quality of judicial services. Numerous committees have been created to meet the expectations of Canadians and include chief justices, other judges, experts and partners. These committees assist the Council in achieving its objectives through research, writing publications or collaborating on special projects. The work of these committees is varied, as are their structures. Some are ad hoc committees, created for a specific project, while others are permanent and have a specific number of members. Below is a list of Council's current standing, sub, and ad hoc committees, as well as working groups and forums:

Council Committees

  • Executive Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Richard Wagner
    • The Honourable Glenn D. Joyal (First Vice-Chair)
    • The Honourable Tracey DeWare (Second Vice-Chair)
    • The Honourable Suzanne M. Duncan
    • The Honourable Heather J. Holmes
    • The Honourable Jean-François Michaud
    • The Honourable Kenneth G. Nielsen
    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul
    • The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch
    • The Honourable Michael J. Wood
    Open to see sub committees and working groups

    Health and Well-Being of Judges Working Group

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz

    • The Honourable Tracey L. Clements
    • The Honourable Kenneth G. Nielsen
    • The Honourable Manon Savard

    Judicial Committee on Inter-jurisdictional Child Protection

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    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Gwen B. Hatch

    • The Honourable Aline U. K. Quach (Vice-Chair, Quebec)
    • The Honourable Suzanne M. Stevenson (Vice Chair, Ontario)
    • The Honourable Gaylene Kendell (Alberta)
    • The Honourable Jacqueline Hughes (British Columbia)
    • The Honourable Regan Thatcher (Manitoba)
    • The Honourable Deborah Hackett (New Brunswick)
    • The Honourable Jane Fitzpatrick (Newfoundland and Labrador)
    • The Honourable Sheila M. MacPherson (Northwest Territories)
    • The Honourable Christine Doucet (Nova Scotia)
    • The Honourable Faiyaz Alibhai (Nunavut)
    • The Honourable Sophie MacDonald (Prince Edward Island)
    • The Honourable Benoît Moore (Quebec)
    • The Honourable Michael T. Megaw (Saskatchewan)
    • The Honourable Edith Campbell (Yukon)
    • The Honourable Mélanie Roy (Canadian Council of Chief Judges)

    Jury Instructions Working Group

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul (Co-Chair)
    • The Honourable James W. O'Reilly (Co-Chair)

    • Mr. Giuseppe (Joe) Battista
    • Mr. Louis Belleau
    • The Honourable Marc David
    • The Honourable Nick (Nicholas) Devlin
    • The Honourable Frederick P. Ferguson
    • The Honourable Patrick Healy
    • The Honourable Kate Ker
    • The Honourable Myriam Lachance
    • Mr. Hong Nguyen
    • The Honourable Renée Pomerance
    • Ms. Nathalie Proulx
    • Mr. James C. Raymond, Ph.D.
    • Professor Hamish Stewart

    Judicial Salaries and Benefits Committee

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz

    • The Honourable Suzanne M. Duncan
    • The Honourable D. Blair Nixon
    • The Honourable Marie-Anne Paquette
    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard

    National Committee on Jury Instructions

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul (Co-Chair)
    • The Honourable James W. O'Reilly (Co-Chair)

    • Mr. Giuseppe (Joe) Battista
    • Mr. Louis Belleau
    • The Honourable Alexandre Bien-Aimé
    • The Honourable Michael J. Brundrett
    • The Honourable Jonathan M. Coady
    • The Honourable François Dadour
    • The Honourable Marc David
    • The Honourable Nancy Dennison
    • The Honourable Martha Devlin
    • The Honourable Nick (Nicholas) Devlin
    • The Honourable Joyce DeWitt-Van Oosten
    • The Honourable Joseph Di Luca
    • The Honourable Sheri A. Donegan
    • The Honourable Annie Emond
    • The Honourable Frederick P. Ferguson
    • Ms. Marie-Christine Godbout
    • The Honourable Cameron H. Gunn
    • The Honourable Patrick Healy
    • The Honourable Avril B. Inglis
    • The Honourable Kate Ker
    • The Honourable David A. Labrenz
    • The Honourable Myriam Lachance
    • The Honourable Christopher Mainella
    • The Honourable Miriam A. Maisonville
    • The Honourable John P. Morrall
    • Mr. Hong Nguyen
    • Ms. Maude Pagé-Arpin
    • The Honourable Catherine Perreault
    • The Honourable Annie Piché
    • The Honourable Renée M. Pomerance
    • The Honourable Yvan Poulin
    • Ms. Nathalie Proulx
    • Professor James C. Raymond
    • The Honourable Wayne N. Renke
    • The Honourable Daniel Royer
    • The Honourable Trina D. Simms
    • Professor Hamish Stewart
    • The Honourable Robin Y. Tremblay
    • The Honourable Lori Renée Weitzman
    • The Honourable Janet Winteringham
    • The Honourable Krista L. Zerr

    National Seminars Security Sub-Committee

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul

    • The Honourable Patrick J. Duncan
    • The Honourable J. Michal Fairburn
    • The Honourable Heather J. Holmes

    Technology Sub-Committee

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    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Faye E. McWatt

    • The Honourable Geneviève Cotnam
    • The Honourable Alan Diner
    • The Honourable Peter H. Edelmann
    • The Honourable Denise A. LeBlanc
    • The Honourable Shane I. Perlmutter
    • The Honourable Sébastien Pierre-Roy
    • The Honourable Herbert Rempel
    • The Honourable Jack Watson
    • Dr. Martin Felsky
    • Professor Karen Eltis
  • Judicial Conduct Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Glenn D. Joyal
    • The Honourable Tracey K. DeWare
    • The Honourable Heather J. Holmes
    • The Honourable Faye E. McWatt
    • The Honourable Kenneth G. Nielsen
    • The Honourable Shane I. Perlmutter
    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard
    • The Honourable Manon Savard
    • The Honourable Michael J. Wood
  • Judicial Education Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul
    • The Honourable Carole Beaton
    • The Honourable Alexandre Boucher
    • The Honourable Thomas J. Crabtree
    • The Honourable Yves de Montigny
    • The Honourable R. Lester Jesudason
    • The Honourable Larry Landry
    • The Honourable Heather MacNaughton
    • The Honourable Rosalie McGrath
    • The Honourable D. Blair Nixon
    • The Honourable Anick Pelletier
    • The Honourable Renée M. Pomerance
    • The Honourable Shannon Smallwood
    • The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch
    Open to see sub committees and working groups

    Resolutions Working Group

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul

    • The Honourable Thomas J. Crabtree
  • Judicial Independence Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Deborah K. Smith
    • The Honourable Kent H. Davidson
    • The Honourable James W. Gormley
    • The Honourable Gwen B. Hatch
    • The Honourable Leonard Marchand
    • The Honourable Owen Rees
    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard
    • The Honourable Simon Ruel
    • The Honourable Alice Woolley
    Open to see sub committees and working groups

    Document Review Working Group

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard

    • The Honourable James W. Gormley
    • The Honourable Owen Rees
  • Nominating Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard
    • The Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz
    • The Honourable Shane I. Perlmutter
  • Public Information Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Michael J. Wood
    • The Honourable Judith Harvie
    • The Honourable Ritu Khullar
    • The Honourable Robert Leurer
    • The Honourable Marie-Anne Paquette
    • The Honourable Marianne Rivoalen
    • The Honourable Paul Schabas
    • The Honourable Raymond P. Whalen
    Open to see sub committees and working groups

    Youth Outreach Working Group

    Chairperson

    • The Honourable Paul S. Crampton

    • The Honourable Judith Harvie
    • The Honourable Michael J. Wood
  • Study Leave Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Ritu Khullar
    • The Honourable Thomas J. Crabtree
    • The Honourable Marie-Anne Paquette
    • The Honourable Ronald A. Skolrood
    • The Honourable Michael D. Tochor
    • Dean Jutta Brunnée
    • Dean Freya Kodar
    • Dean Geneviève Saumier
  • Appeal Courts Forum

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Michael J. Wood
    • The Honourable Yves de Montigny
    • The Honourable J. Michal Fairburn
    • The Honourable Deborah E. Fry
    • The Honourable Mary J. L. Gleason
    • The Honourable James W. Gormley
    • The Honourable Ritu Khullar
    • The Honourable Robert Leurer
    • The Honourable Leonard Marchand
    • The Honourable J.C. Marc Richard
    • The Honourable Marianne Rivoalen
    • The Honourable Manon Savard
    • The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch
  • Trial Courts Committee

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    CHAIRPERSON:
    • The Honourable Shane I. Perlmutter
    • The Honourable Tracey L. Clements
    • The Honourable Sue Cooper
    • The Honourable Paul S. Crampton
    • The Honourable Kent H. Davidson
    • The Honourable Tracey K. DeWare
    • The Honourable Suzanne M. Duncan
    • The Honourable Gwen B. Hatch
    • The Honourable Heather J. Holmes
    • The Honourable R. Lester Jesudason
    • The Honourable Glenn D. Joyal
    • The Honourable Larry Landry
    • The Honourable Catherine La Rosa
    • The Honourable Rosalie McGrath
    • The Honourable Faye E. McWatt
    • The Honourable Jean-François Michaud
    • The Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz
    • The Honourable Kenneth G. Nielsen
    • The Honourable D. Blair Nixon
    • The Honourable Marie-Anne Paquette
    • The Honourable Anick Pelletier
    • The Honourable Martel D. Popescul
    • The Honourable Ronald A. Skolrood
    • The Honourable Shannon Smallwood
    • The Honourable Deborah K. Smith
    • The Honourable Gabrielle St-Hilaire
    • The Honourable Martine St-Louis
    • The Honourable Michael D. Tochor
    • The Honourable Raymond P. Whalen