Training that never stops

For the sake of transparency, since 2018, the Council annually publishes a list of courses and seminars available during the previous fiscal year. The following is a list of courses, seminars and other learning activities attended by federally appointed judges to continue their learning and enhance their knowledge.

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Programs (35)
  • November 28 2023 - November 30 2023

    Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan Education Seminar

    Drawing on the expertise of experienced judges, academics, and other professionals, this seminar considered issues relating to judicial wellness and intimate partner violence, with a focus on family violence and how it impacts children. Experienced academics, a judge and a probation officer shared best practices around the use of pre-sentence reports, reliance on Gladue factors and the application of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments. A legal academic discussed three emerging themes: self-government, non-discrimination, and access to justice, in an Indigenous context. The seminar concluded with a session on binding pre-trials.

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  • October 12 2023 - October 13 2023

    Court of King's Bench of Manitoba Education Seminar

    Drawing on the expertise of experienced judges, academics, and other professionals, this seminar began with concurrent sessions for General Division and Family Division judges. The General Division sessions offered a refresher and update on the law of evidence in relation to: the principled approach to hearsay; the admissibility, proof and use of prior statements of witnesses; the realities of federal and provincial corrections; pre-sentencing reports, Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, and sentencing more generally. The Family Division sessions examined children's evidence and expert evidence in family law; income determination; and updates on new family law jurisprudence. All judges attended sessions on Métis history, rights, and laws, and on judicial review.

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  • September 27 2023 - September 29 2023

    Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan Education Seminar

    This program brought together experts in court administration, law, and artificial intelligence to enhance the ability of justices to communicate and render decisions in the appellate court context. An international expert in court administration led an exercise to assist participants in understanding how they process information, organize their work, and make decisions. A panel of experts discussed the structure and style of the Court’s judgments – sharing insights with participants about how the Court’s judgments are read, interpreted, and experienced by readers. The final session provided an overview of the challenges that artificial intelligence decision-making poses for the administration of justice and explored potential avenues for courts to overcome those challenges.

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  • May 30 2023 - June 1 2023

    Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan Education Seminar

    Led by experienced judges and legal practitioners, through a mix of lectures, panel discussions and interactive sessions, the seminar explored pre-trial motions, including third party records and records in the possession of the accused, the law governing the production/disclosure of third-party records in sexual offence prosecutions and the new statutory scheme governing the admissibility/use of records in the possession of the accused; cryptocurrency, including the ways in which the Court may encounter “crypto” in family and civil matters; and a discussion on contempt and judicial case conferencing in family law.

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  • April 13 2023 - April 14 2023

    Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba Education Seminar

    This seminar was presented by an experienced faculty of judges, legal academics, and professionals working inside and outside of the legal system. Participants were provided with concrete tools and advice to promote efficient judgment writing and the ability to deliver oral judgments. They explored ways in which judges and courts can better interact with different categories of difficult or abusive litigants. Judges discussed best practices to prepare, manage, and remain resilient when presiding over high-profile trials. A session for General Division judges focused on writing reasons in sexual assault cases and discussed: the impermissible use of common-sense reasoning in assessing credibility; stereotypical reasoning in relation to cross-cultural interpretations of human behaviour; and errors applying W.D. Meanwhile, a session for Family Division judges provided practical approaches to the use parental capacity assessments and culturally based parenting practices. The final session focused on the importance of and need for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

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