Seminar for New Federally Appointed Judges (Common Law and Civil Law) 2022
All newly appointed federal judges attend these two seminars within one year of their appointment. One is held in the spring and the other in the fall. They are organized jointly by the National Judicial Institute and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice.
Number of Participants: 198
Various sessions were held:
March 21-25, 2022 (Online)
Common Law Judges
Number of Participants: 74
Civil Law Judges
Number of Participants: 29
October 17-21, 2022 (In person)
Common Law Judges
Number of Participants:76
Civil Law Judges
Number of Participants: 19
Overview
All newly appointed federal judges attend these two seminars within one year of their appointment. One is held in the spring and the other in the fall. They are organized jointly by the National Judicial Institute and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice.
Objective
The purpose of these seminars is to orient participants in their new role as judges and encourage them to maintain and enhance their knowledge of the law and to develop their judicial skills.
Summary
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. Still others were aimed at judges sitting on the Federal Court in particular. All participants jointly attended sessions on judicial independence, conduct and ethics, judgment writing, civility and effective communication in the courtroom, self-compassion, 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 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. The civil law judges, meanwhile, worked on issues of statutory criminal law and applications for care. Finally, the Federal Court judges attended separate sessions on Indigenous law, injunctions and intellectual property.