Canadian Judicial Council reports on its September meeting
Charlottetown, September 20, 2024 – The Canadian Judicial Council met from September 17 to 19 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the administration of justice.
“The Council continues to advance critically important work in support of a judicial system that both protects and strengthens our democracy,” noted Chief Justice of Canada and Council Chairperson, the Right Honourable Richard Wagner. “As our world continues to evolve, so must the work of the Council. We are committed to judicial services that are not only in keeping with the values of our society, but also based on modern practices.”
Some highlights from the Council’s discussions in Charlottetown include:
- The advancement of guidelines for federally appointed judges related to the use of artificial intelligence;
- Ongoing work on guidelines for judges on the use of social media;
- A study related to the health and wellbeing of judges; and,
- The approval of a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving collaboration with, and participation from, provincial and territorial court judges in training offered by the National Judicial Institute.
Members were also pleased to hear from the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and to exchange with him on matters of common interest. The Council is encouraged by the increase of judicial appointments in recent months, and stresses the importance of ongoing and effective collaboration between the judiciary and government at all levels to ensure, amongst other things, sufficient resources for the courts and for the better administration of justice.
In addition to the above, Chairpersons of each of the Council’s committees provided updates on other ongoing work related to topics such as technology, continuing education for judges, judicial independence, judicial conduct, public outreach initiatives, and jury instructions.
Special sessions were also held to discuss best practices for productive relations with provincial and territorial governments, as well as the review of judicial conduct files.
Council’s next semi-annual meeting will take place in April 2025.
Did you know?
As members of the Council, Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices from superior courts across the country 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.
While the full Council meets twice a year, once in April and once in September, Council has a number of standing, sub, and ad hoc committees, as well as working groups and forums that meet throughout the year, undertaking research, writing publications, and collaborating on special projects.
-30-
Contact :
Krista Ferraro
Director of Communications and Strategic Issues Management
Canadian Judicial Council
info@cjc-ccm.ca