Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Chief justice 'not comfortable' with lack of transparency over judicial complaints

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Canada's chief justice says he has asked the national body that oversees the conduct of judges to consider making the process for dealing with complaints more transparent.

    Richard Wagner expressed his concerns a day after Russell Brown retired from the Supreme Court of Canada, ending a probe into allegations of misconduct.

    At a news conference Tuesday, Wagner said he is "not comfortable" with the current complaint process administered by the Canadian Judicial Council because it is insufficiently clear for the public.

    Wagner, who as chief justice presides over the judicial council, asked, for instance, when the existence of a complaint or the text of a decision should be made public.

    "There's something opaque right now. And I'm not comfortable with that."

    The chief justice said he awaits passage of federal legislation, now before Parliament, aimed at making judicial oversight procedures more efficient and less costly. "I think that it would be in the best interest of the public, the best interest of the judiciary, and in the best interest of transparency."

    Wagner said it is scandalous that under the current system a complaint case can drag on for years at a cost of millions of dollars.

    "It can't take ages and ages, because that undermines the credibility of the system," he said.

    In addition, Wagner said he asked the council's judicial conduct committee in April to review its own regulations with an eye to increasing transparency.

    "I think we can do better at the CJC, there's some work to be done," he said. "I think it's up to them to do the work."

    The judicial council said Monday it no longer had jurisdiction to continue investigating allegations of misconduct concerning Brown that stemmed from an event at an Arizona hotel in January.

    Brown has vigorously denied accusations that he was intoxicated and harassed a group of people at an event at an upscale resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.

    Brown, appointed to the Supreme Court eight years ago, had been on leave since Feb. 1, pending the outcome of the council's review.

    In a statement Monday, Brown said that given the progress to date, it was not unreasonable to think that the process may continue well into next year.

    "While my counsel and I are confident that the complaint would have ultimately been dismissed, the continuing delay is in nobody's interests -- the Court's, the public's, my family's or my own."

    The judicial council told Wagner of the complaint against Brown on Jan. 31.

    The following day, after speaking with Brown, Wagner put him on leave from his duties at the Supreme Court effective immediately, while the council looked into the complaint. Wagner then notified Justice Minister David Lametti of this decision.

    Wagner indicated Tuesday he wrestled with the question of making word of the complaint against Brown public, since the judicial council regulations say that is up to the council to decide.

    Wagner said that's why he asked the council's conduct committee earlier this spring to examine the question, as he should not be bound by "a regulation that does not allow me to make it public."

    The chief justice played down the notion the allegations against Brown might reflect poorly on the court. He said the public should be comforted by the ethical principles set out for federally appointed judges and the fact there are procedures for reviewing the conduct of those on the bench.

    Wagner also disagreed with suggestions that because the review in Brown's case ended upon his resignation, Canadians are left without answers and a sense of closure to the episode.

    "The process is there and it's finished because the judge resigned," he said. "So there's no matter to deal with anymore."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

    A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.

    Canada

    • A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.

    • The Archbishop of Toronto is among 21 new cardinals Pope Francis named Sunday and the lone new cardinal from North America.

    • A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    • In a display of strength and perseverance, a Cambridge, Ont. resident has completed a unique aquatic challenge.

    • Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

    • A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.

    • A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.

    Sports

    Autos

    • A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.

    Local Spotlight

    Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

    Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

    Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

    Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

    Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.

    A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.

    Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

    From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

    A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

    • A man parked a minivan in front of Vancouver City Hall Sunday evening and set it ablaze, according to police.

    • A man stole a police car and drove it onto the field of an East Vancouver park Sunday morning, placing “dozens of bystanders in harm’s way,†according to police.

    • All that was left of a downtown Langley restaurant Sunday was a pile of rubble behind a blue fence, after a massive fire tore through it the morning before.

    • A man has died following a two-vehicle collision in North York on Sunday night.

    • JUST IN

      JUST IN

      A man has been rushed to the hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing in Toronto’s Weston neighbourhood on Sunday night.

    • A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.

    • There were dueling rallies at city hall Sunday in advance of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

    • CTV producer Cynthia Roebuck has been to the Run for a Cure before, but Sunday, she had a different perspective on the popular event.

    • An investigation is underway into a fire and explosion that took place Saturday night in northeast Calgary.

    • A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    • The Carleton Ravens came within a field goal of their first Panda Game victory since 2017, but ultimately came short of breaking the University of Ottawa Gee Gees winning streak on Sunday.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say a man has died after striking obstacles on the St. Lawrence River while driving a personal watercraft.

    • Alexandre Look, a 33-year-old Montreal native, was among the concertgoers who were murdered a year ago Monday at the Supernova music festival during a brutal assault on Israel carried out by Hamas militants. He is among at least eight people, either Canadian citizens or with ties to Canada, who died during the Oct. 7 attacks.

    • Monday marks one year since the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

    • A man was taken into custody Sunday after a woman was found dead in a home on Montreal's South Shore.

    • Alberta RCMP say there is no active shooter in the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement.

    • If you're feeling overwhelmed by an overbearing fruit tree or a kale patch that just won't quit, here are some ways to make your fall haul more manageable.

    • Monday is the first anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked a war that has since spread beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.

    • The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in World War II.

    • RCMP in Sussex, N.B., are asking the public for help locating a missing 61-year-old woman from Wards Creek, N.B.

    • The Saint John Police Force in Saint John, N.B. is investigating a fatal collision involving two sedans on Highway 7 near exit 90.

    • Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

    • An annual vintage sale known as “Art from the Attic†returned to St. Vital Centre Sunday, with thousands of collectibles and art pieces on display.

    • For the 52nd week, pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in Winnipeg, calling for peace in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

    • Saturday was not an ideal fall day for the residents of southern Saskatchewan – as winds reaching highway speeds were reported.

    • The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.

    • Saskatchewan's two major political parties made campaign stops in Moose Jaw Saturday with both promising to invest into the city if elected on Oct. 28.

    • According to police, officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the area of Victoria Street North and St. Ledger Street around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

    • In a display of strength and perseverance, a Cambridge, Ont. resident has completed a unique aquatic challenge.

    • Emergency services were called to the area of Stone Road West and Chancellors Way around 1:20 a.m. Sunday for a report of a single motor vehicle collision.

    • A permanent memorial at the site of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash is about to be a step closer.

    • The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.

    • The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.

    • Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

    • Tears were shed and emotions ran high at the 33rd annual CIBC Run for the Cure in downtown London, Ont. on Sunday.

    • The London Knights continue to get players back from NHL training camps but while the roster takes shape, wins have been tough to come by in the early season.

    • Lakehead University's Orillia Campus hosted the 2024 NASA Space Apps challenge this weekend, which allowed teams of students, mentors and scientists to brainstorm solutions for global issues using real-world NASA data.

    • Fire crews are investigating a Saturday evening fire at a barn in Oro-Medonte.

    • The first Sunday of October was also the first Sunday of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which meant hundreds wore pink and attended the two CIBC 'Run for the Cure' events in the region.

    • OPP responded to a collision in which a vehicle struck a pedestrian on the roadway.

    • The event serves as a pivotal platform for open-class boxers from across Ontario to compete for provincial titles and the opportunity to advance to the Canadian National Championships.

    • October is library month, and at Essex county council on Wednesday, Deputy Warden Joe Bachetti encouraged residents to support their local library.

    • NDP Leader David Eby promised Sunday to support police in British Columbia to keep illegal guns off the streets and protect communities, but accused B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad of planning to make the province less safe.

    • The calculus of predicting an election and identifying its key battlegrounds is complex enough in any race, but observers of the British Columbia poll this month are facing a pair of unknown quantities that make the math even more confounding.

    • Police on Vancouver Island have made an arrest in the case of a 78-year-old woman found dead in her home almost two years ago.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.

    • Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.

    • While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.

    • Lethbridge police executed dozens of warrants and laid numerous charges in another targeted enforcement project in the downtown area.

    • A person was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash in Taber, Alta., on Friday morning. Taber RCMP responded to the scene on Highway 864 around 10:30 a.m., for a crash involving an SUV and a semi-truck.

    • As part of an ongoing investigation, provincial police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a Kubota tractor stolen in North Shore Township, Ont., last month.

    • A 33-year-old man was arrested Saturday for allegedly spraying bear mace at three individuals in northwestern Ontario.

    • A drug raid on a home on the Far North Attawapiskat First Nation last week resulted in two local residents being charged and more than $50,000 in suspected narcotics, including methamphetamine, being seized.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½