GOVERNMENT OF CANADA MOVES FORWARD ON JUDICIAL COMPENSATION

OTTAWA, May 31, 2006 – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Vic Toews, Q.C., today introduced legislation to implement the Government's Response to the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission and its report on the adequacy of salaries and benefits for federal judges. The Government's response proposes that judges receive a salary increase of 7.25 percent rather than the 10.8 percent recommended by the Commission.

“This Government agrees with almost all of the recommendations offered by the Commission, the main exception being the judicial salary proposal,” said Minister Toews. “Our response fully explains our concerns in this regard and, with this legislation, we now turn to Parliament to exercise its ultimate role in determining judicial compensation.”

The Government's Response provides the rationale for the amended amount proposed in the legislation. Most notably, the Government is concerned with the Commission's reliance on urban lawyers' private practice salaries as a comparator, and the value placed on the judicial pension.

Recent case law on judicial compensation supports modifying Commission recommendations, provided a rational justification is given and the integrity of the Commission process is respected.

“As part of our commitment to the constitutional principles that govern the establishment of judicial compensation, we are taking action to move this legislation forward,” added Minister Toews. “We are also committed to fiscal responsibility and recognize that judges are paid from the public purse – upon which there are many competing and legitimate demands”.

An online version of the Government Response is accessible at: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub/jcbc/table.html .

An online version of the legislation will be available at www.parl.gc.ca.

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Ref.:

Mark Quinlan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621

Media Relations
Department of Justice
(613) 957-4207