Canadian Judicial Council wants greater range of disciplinary options for judges
OTTAWA — The Canadian Judicial Council wants more flexibility when it comes to deciding how a federally appointed judge should be disciplined for misconduct.
“At the present time, the only true sanction that can be imposed on a judge who engages in misconduct is bleak: recommend their removal,” the council wrote in a position paper released Wednesday.
The council is asking the Liberal government to amend the Judicial Act to give it the formal authority to impose range of remedial measures or sanctions instead, while also retaining the authority to recommend that the federal justice minister remove a judge if necessary.
“We reject the notion that any transgression must be ignored unless it is so grave as to warrant a judge’s removal,” the council wrote.