Judicial Advisory Committees
Three positions open as Representatives of the General Public on the Committees (volunteer).
For more information visit http://www.fja-cmf.gc.ca/appointments-nominations/committees-comites/index-eng.html.
Independent judicial advisory committees constitute the heart of the appointments process. It is the committees who have the responsibility of 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, law enforcement associations and the general public:
- a nominee of the provincial or territorial law society;
- a nominee of the provincial or territorial branch of the Canadian Bar Association;
- a judge nominated by the Chief Justice of the province or by the senior judge of the territory;
- a nominee of the provincial Attorney General or territorial Minister of Justice;
- a nominee of the law enforcement community; and
- 3 nominees of the federal Minister of Justice representing the general public.
Each nominator is asked by the federal Minister of Justice 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 a three-year term, with the possibility of a single renewal.
The Minister meets periodically with the Chairs of all the committees for an exchange of views concerning the operation of the process.
Administrative support for the work of the committees, including information sessions and guidelines concerning confidentiality and other committee procedures, is provided by the Judicial Appointments Secretariat of the Office of the Commissioner.
All committee proceedings and consultations take place on a confidential basis.
For more information visit http://www.fja-cmf.gc.ca/appointments-nominations/committees-comites/index-eng.html.