Judicial Ethics Seminar: Ethics in the Age of Disruption 2018

Overview

This seminar examined judicial ethics through a 21st century lens – conscious of developments in social media, toxic evidence, and changing social and legal trends – to consider what has changed, what is changing and what, if anything, can or should stay the same.

Objectives

The objective of this seminar was to develop an understanding of the application of judicial ethics in a quickly changing world and discern how judicial ethics should evolve in the face of disruption and growing complexity.

Summary

Led by experienced judges and multidisciplinary academics, this seminar combined lectures, panels and interactive sessions to review the role of judicial ethics in the contemporary world. Topics included disruption in the contemporary world, the changing role of the judge, judicial notice and the Internet, judicial impartiality, judicial candour, and ethical responsibilities of the judge in the courtroom. Further sessions took up ethical considerations in the context of social media as well as speaking at and attending conferences. Presentations on the work of the CJC Independence Committee and the work of the Ethics Advisory Committee provided a practical context to the issues under study.