Ottawa, Ontario – January 24, 2016
The Canadian Bar Association President, René Basque, Q.C. issued the following statement today on Judicial Advisory Committees appointments:
“The CBA welcomes the recent appointments to the Judicial Advisory Committees. Ongoing judicial vacancies have created significant delays in the court system. The JAC appointments are a good next step in getting the vacancies filled. These JACs can now start the important work of identifying outstanding judicial candidates. We call on the Minister to appoint the remaining JACs without delay.
“The CBA was pleased to see improved diversity in the new appointments – and hope that will help to increase diversity on the bench. Canada needs qualified judges who reflect the gender, religion, race, language of its population, and who bring experience and knowledge of the three legal systems of Canada.
“The CBA encourages an immediate review of judicial applications so the vacancies can be filled as swiftly as possible. We encourage qualified individuals from all equality seeking groups to apply.
“The CBA will continue to monitor the judicial appointment process and is committed to a fairly chosen and independent judiciary, selected through an open and transparent process.”
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