Welcome to the Website of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada

The Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs reports directly to the Minister of Justice. The Office of the Commissioner was established in 1978 to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and provide federally appointed judges with administrative services independent of the Department of Justice.

Duties and responsibilities include:

• administering Part I of the Judges Act, which deals with eligibility for appointment, retirement age, and salaries of federally appointed judges;
  
  
• preparing a budget and providing services and staff to the Canadian Judicial Council;
  
  
• providing support to the Supreme Court of Canada appointment process;
  
  
• managing the Judicial Appointments Secretariat, which administers 17 advisory committees responsible for evaluating candidates for federal judicial appointments;
  
  
• managing the Federal Courts Reports Section, which is responsible for selecting and publishing Federal Court of Appeal and Federal Court decisions in both official languages;
  
  
• administering a judicial intranet called JUDICOM, which provides judges with email, a secure and restricted communication system, and a virtual library;
  
  
• providing language training to judges in both official languages;
  
  
• coordinating initiatives related to the Canadian judiciary's role in international cooperation.

In order to carry out these activities and provide services to approximately 1,100 active judges and 850 retired judges and their survivors in Canada, the Commissioner is assisted by the Deputy Commissioner, seven Directors and, at present, 70 other staff members.

This Web site is designed to inform all Canadians about FJA's role and activities in judicial affairs in Canada. We welcome any requests for information and any comments or suggestions. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

Enjoy your visit to our site!

Marc A. Giroux, Commissioner