Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada
www.fja-cmf.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Federal Judicial Advisory Committee Members
Members by Province or Territory
Independent judicial advisory committees constitute the heart of the appointments process. The committees are responsible for assessing the qualifications for appointment of the lawyers who apply. There is at least one committee in each province and territory; because of their larger population, Ontario has three regionally based committees and Quebec has two. Candidates are assessed by the regional committee established for the judicial district of their practice or occupation, or by the committee judged most appropriate by the Commissioner. Each committee consists of eight members representing the bench, the bar, the law enforcement community and the general public, and 1 ex-officio non-voting member: the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada or the Executive Director, Judicial Appointments.
The Chief Justice or senior judge of the province or territory is invited by the federal Minister of Justice to choose one judicial representative. The provincial or territorial Law Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the provincial Attorney General or Territorial Minister of Justice, and the law enforcement community are invited to submit a list of names from whom an appointment to the relevant committee can be made. The Minister, with the assistance of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, then selects persons to serve on each committee who reflect factors appropriate to the jurisdiction, including geography, gender, language and multiculturalism. Committee members are appointed by the Minister of Justice to serve either two or three-year terms, with the possibility of a single renewal.
The creation of a new Judicial Advisory Committee was announced by the Minister of Justice on November 10, 2006 as a one-year pilot project to assess all candidates for appointment to the Tax Court of Canada. This Committee is comprised of five members: one nominee who is a judge of the Tax Court of Canada and four nominees of the Minister of Justice in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Tax Court of Canada.
Composition of Judicial Appointments Advisory Committes
The Committee Chairs and members are appointed by the federal Minister of Justice for 3 year terms.
