Canadian Judicial Council reports on its annual September meeting
Yellowknife, September 19, 2025 – The Canadian Judicial Council, comprised of Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices from superior courts across the country, met this week in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the administration of justice.
“The Council plays a pivotal role in protecting judicial independence and maintaining public confidence in the justice system. When we meet, it is an opportunity to have robust discussions on contemporary challenges and solutions aimed at improving judicial services for the benefit of all Canadians,” noted Chief Justice of Canada and Council Chairperson, the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
As part of their meeting, Council members were pleased to hear from the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
A special session was also organized to raise members' awareness of the administration of justice in the Northwest Territories, focusing on factors shaped by the cultural, environmental, and economic context of this region.
Some other highlights from the Council’s meeting in Yellowknife include:
- Discussions on an ongoing study related to the health and well-being of judges. A questionnaire was launched over the summer with all federally appointed judges and approximately 66% participated. Analysis of the data is underway and the Council looks forward to learning more in the months to come.
- Administration of the judicial conduct regime. The Council is responsible for receiving and considering complaints made against federally appointed judges, in accordance with the Judges Act. A discussion and update on the administration of the process was provided to members on this subject.
- Approvals of judicial education seminars and courses. One of the core responsibilities of the Council is ensuring that judges have access to high-quality, effective, and ongoing judicial education and professional development. The Council again reviewed and approved various conferences and seminars related to the administration of justice.
- Updates from the Judicial Committee on Inter-Jurisdictional Child Protection. This Committee serves an inter-jurisdictional role within Canada and internationally, facilitating communications between judges involved in child protection cases which span different jurisdictions. The Committee provided the Council with an update on its ongoing work, including various tools and resources created for judges.
- Discussions on public information kits related to judicial independence. The Council’s Judicial Independence Committee will be undertaking a project to refresh resources tailored to different audiences to promote the importance of judicial independence.
In addition to the above, chairpersons of each of the Council’s committees provided updates on other ongoing work related to topics such as judicial conduct, technology, and public outreach.
Council’s next regular meeting will take place in April 2026.
Did you know?
The Council holds two plenary meetings every year – one in April and one in September. The April meeting is always held in the National Capital Region whereas the location for the September meeting rotates annually, across different provinces and territories. Several other meetings of various Council committees are also held throughout the year.
As an organization with members across Canada, this approach allows the Council to regularly consider the various challenges facing the judiciary – a key and essential institution in a healthy democracy – and to strengthen its connection with different communities nationwide.
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Contact:
Krista Ferraro
Director of Communications and Strategic Issues Management
Canadian Judicial Council
info@cjc-ccm.ca