The Canadian Judicial Council reiterates its commitment to increased transparency on judicial education
Ottawa, 5 July 2018– The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) has launched a new website designed to communicate the breadth of professional development programs offered to federally-appointed judges in Canada. The website provides information about all of the professional development programs delivered in 2017 and provides answers to questions that have recently arisen on how judges in Canada are educated. It is expected that this website will be updated on an annual basis.
Canada benefits from a system of judicial education that is considered to be among the best in the world. The comprehensive curriculum offered to judges encompasses substantive law, practical skills training and ongoing education regarding society’s evolving expectations. Since the early 1990’s, the CJC has included social context education in most of its key programs to ensure that judges – and in particular newly appointed judges – are educated not only in law but on different social context existing across the country.
The CJC’s professional development policies and guidelines set out expectations that federally appointed judges will follow a rigorous program of professional development during their entire career. Newly appointed judges are required to follow mandatory training during their first five years on the bench. New judges receive two weeks of intensive training during their first year while their training over the next four years focuses on additional core judicial skills. They are also required to develop an education plan in consultation with their Chief Justices and are expected to receive mentoring.
The CJC expects all other judges will invest the equivalent of ten days per year in professional development. All judges are also required to attend their local court-based programs.
The CJC will continue to work with its partners to develop courses for federal judges and to inform Canadians about the importance of judicial education.
The website be accessed at the following link: http://judicialeducation.cjc-ccm.ca
Contact:
Norman Sabourin, Executive Director and Senior General Counsel
(613) 288-1566 ext 313