Canadian Judicial Council to hold a public inquiry into the conduct of the Honourable Gérard Dugré

Ottawa, 6 September 2019 - The Canadian Judicial Council announced today that an Inquiry Committee is constituted under the Judges Act about the Honourable Gérard Dugré of the Superior Court of Quebec.

The decision was made by a Judicial Conduct Review Panel comprised of three members of Council, 1 other judge and a member of the public, in accordance with Council’s By-laws and Complaints Procedures. 

The Panel reviewed two sets of allegations, one relating to the judge’s alleged use of intemperate and inappropriate language; the other relating to delay in issuing decisions.  On the issue of delay, the Panel was aware of a previous matter of the same nature which could demonstrate a pattern in not rendering decisions in a timely way. 

After a careful review of the matter, including the judge’s comments and those of his Chief Justice, the Panel concluded that “the matter might be serious enough to warrant the removal of the judge.” 

It’s important to note that the allegations about the judge have not been proven. The Inquiry Committee will have the responsibility of establishing the facts about this case and of presenting a report to Council.

In accordance with Council’s By-Laws, an Inquiry Committee is comprised of an uneven number of members, the majority of which are Council members.  The Minister of Justice will be invited to designate one or more members of the Bar. The Minister has 60 days to respond to this invitation. 

Additional details, including the names of the Inquiry Committee members, will be made public over the coming weeks.

Information about the role of the Canadian Judicial Council in administering an effective complaints review process, including its Complaints Procedures, and Handbook of Practice and Procedures of Inquiry Committees can be found on the Council’s website at www.cjc-ccm.ca.

Contact:
Norman Sabourin
Executive Director and Senior General Counsel
(613) 288-1566 ext 313