Senator Pierre Moreau has introduced Bill S-291, An Act to Establish Judicial Independence Day, which is at second reading in the Senate. The bill has three main purposes:

  1. To support the International Association of Judges’ initiative urging the UN to declare January 11 as International Day of Judicial Independence, commemorating the 2020 Thousand Robes March by Polish judges.
  2. To highlight growing threats to judicial independence in many countries, including the United States. Senator Moreau stressed that separation of powers is essential to the rule of law and warned against partisan attacks on judicial independence.
  3. To proclaim the judiciary as a fundamental pillar of the rule of law, emphasizing that even stable democracies like Canada are not immune to such threats.

The bill also aims to promote public awareness, including potential engagement with schools, and commends the Supreme Court of Canada for making decisions more accessible through summaries.