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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 (118)
  • March 12 2024 - April 23 2024

    Northern Courts Education Seminar

    Led by experienced judges and leading academics, this seminar used a combination of lectures, discussions and an off-site visit as means for judges to increase knowledge in substantive criminal and family law matters, to enhance judgment writing skills, and to explore and learn more about the social context of northern indigenous communities. Participants were provided with an in depth overview of recent developments in Canadian law on sexual offences, including the law related to third party records applications and records in the possession of the accused; other sessions examined the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the challenges associated with electronic evidence in court, and social media evidence in particular. Judges were provided guidance about crafting concise, sufficient, and accessible reasons, and a multi-disciplinary panel guided participants through the multiple normative orders of the Canadian legal landscape, with specific reference to Indigenous legal orders in the northern territories. The seminar concluded with a visit to a local wellness camp for a session led by local Indigenous elders.

    View more - Northern Courts Education Seminar
  • November 15 2023 - November 16 2023

    Appellate Courts Seminar

    This national seminar focused on issues of substantive law, judge-craft and social context that were relevant to the work of appellate court judges. It addressed the following topics: online misinformation and the role of judges; the erosion of democratic norms internationally and the implications for judicial independence and the rule of law; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples; Indigenous governance and self-government; corporate and commercial law issues involving Indigenous peoples; the development of best practices when it comes to appellate court processes relating to chambers practice, chairing panels, and pre- and post-hearing work; a survey of notable case-law at the provincial appellate court level; and emerging issues at the Supreme Court of Canada.

    View more - Appellate Courts Seminar
  • November 15 2023 - November 16 2023

    Appellate Courts Seminar

    This national seminar focused on issues of substantive law, judge-craft and social context that were relevant to the work of appellate court judges. It addressed the following topics: online misinformation and the role of judges; the erosion of democratic norms internationally and the implications for judicial independence and the rule of law; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples; Indigenous governance and self-government; corporate and commercial law issues involving Indigenous peoples; the development of best practices when it comes to appellate court processes relating to chambers practice, chairing panels, and pre- and post-hearing work; a survey of notable case-law at the provincial appellate court level; and emerging issues at the Supreme Court of Canada.

    View more - Appellate Courts Seminar
  • October 23 2023 - November 3 2023

    Seminar for New Federally Appointed Judges: Joint CIAJ and NJI Spring and Fall Programs (Common Law and Civil Law)

    The seminars were led by experienced judges, with the assistance of seasoned lawyers and academics. Several learning methods—including lectures, courtroom role-playing videos, and small group discussions—were used to impart the knowledge and develop the skills judges need to perform their new duties effectively. Some of the sessions were designed for all judges, while others were specifically for common law or civil law judges, or for judges sitting on the Federal Court or Federal Court of Appeal. All participants jointly attended sessions on judicial independence, conduct and ethics, judgment writing, civility and effective communication in the courtroom, unconscious bias, strategies to ensure equal access to justice for persons with disabilities, and the relationship between the judge’s role and the social context, with particular emphasis on sexual assault law, racial discrimination, and cases involving Indigenous people. Judges from all jurisdictions also participated in sessions on family law, injunctive relief, oral judgments, judicial review of administrative actions, evidence law, civil procedure, self-represented litigants, courtroom management and case management. A series of sessions for common law judges focused on criminal law topics, from jury selection to sentencing to specific issues in sexual assault trials. Civil law judges, meanwhile, worked on issues of statutory criminal law, applications for care, and the practical aspects of being a judge. Finally, Federal Court judges attended separate sessions on the scope of the Federal Court’s jurisdiction, citizenship, immigration and refugee law, Indigenous law, and intellectual property.

    View more - Seminar for New Federally Appointed Judges: Joint CIAJ and NJI Spring and Fall Programs (Common Law and Civil Law)
  • October 11 2023 - October 13 2023

    Court of Appeal of Québec: Annual General Meeting

    This education seminar focused on the shift in public perceptions of the judicial system in Québec and elsewhere. Guest speakers included a former Israel Supreme Court judge and an expert in judicial independence. Participants discussed judges’ role in preventing and deterring crime, and their limited ability to curb criminality in our society. A panel of experts explored Quebecers’ perceptions of the judicial system, providing an opportunity for participants to assess the relationship between trust in the media and the media’s impact on perceptions, as well as disinformation, social media, and the influence of international politics. The closing remarks examined judicial discipline through the lens of public law values, considering in particular the recent reform of the complaint and discipline procedure for federally appointed judges.

    View more - Court of Appeal of Québec: Annual General Meeting
  • October 11 2023 - October 13 2023

    Quebec Court of Appeal: Annual General Meeting

    This program focused on the changing public perception of the judicial system here and elsewhere. Judges heard from a former Israeli Supreme Court judge and an expert on judicial independence. In the criminal context, participants were able to explore the role of judges in prevention and deterrence, and their real ability to control crime in our society. A panel of experts exploring Quebecers' perceptions of the judicial system then gave participants an opportunity to take stock of the relationship between trust in the media and the impact of the media on perceptions, misinformation, social media and the influences of international politics. Closing remarks focused on judicial discipline through the prism of public law values, particularly in the context of the recent reform of the complaints and discipline procedure for federally appointed judges.

    View more - Quebec Court of Appeal: Annual General Meeting
  • October 11 2023 - October 13 2023

    Atlantic Courts Education Seminar for Federally Appointed Judges

    The seminar began with an overview of recent Supreme Court of Canada and appellate cases in criminal, family, and civil law. A family law and a valuation expert then delved into the legal intricacies of financial statements in family and other matters. Other sessions explored the following issues: what cognitive science can teach judges about judgment writing, and the nature of microaggressions and how they can be addressed. The program continued by focusing on the following topics: how to organize complex trials in criminal and family matters; challenges judges encounter when navigating and assessing social media evidence; myths and preconceptions about people living in poverty, barriers between individuals living in poverty and the judicial system, as well as how courts can lessen barriers and avoid re-traumatizing individuals experiencing poverty; issues surrounding judicial privilege when judges cross the Canadian border. The seminar concluded with a discussion about best practices when conducting alternative dispute resolution proceedings, and an interactive presentation on the psychological mechanisms which underpin procrastination, and best practices to avoid it.

    View more - Atlantic Courts Education Seminar for Federally Appointed Judges