Welcome from the President

Welcome to the website of the Canadian Superior Court Judges Association (CSCJA). The CSCJA was founded in 1979 and represents approximately 1,400 judges, both sitting and retired, who serve or served on the superior courts of each province and territory and the Federal Courts. The purpose of the CSCJA is to protect and enhance judicial independence, improve the administration of justice, provide continuing education and other support services for judges, and promote public understanding of the role judges play in the justice system.

The CSCJA is governed by a Board of Directors, a Council and an Executive Committee. The Board and Council are composed of members from each of the provinces and territories and from the Federal Courts.

Judges from across Canada sit on our committees in relation to: (a) Public Education; (b) Compensation; (c) Independence of the Judiciary; (d) International Judicial Relations; (e) Judicial Conduct Review; (f) Membership Services & Wellness; (g) Governance; and (h) Technology. These judges volunteer countless hours of their personal time to help achieve the objectives and purpose of the CSCJA.  We truly appreciate their work; we could not function without it.

Over the last couple of years, we strategically reviewed the governance of the CSCJA and defined a strategic plan. Our Governance Committee continues to steer the new process and guide the Board and Executive.

Our Compensation Committee is working on gathering the information that will be needed for the Quadrennial Commission in 2025.

Our Judicial Conduct Review Committee along with the Board and Executive of our Association have been involved for many years in the consultation process with the Department of Justice Canada and the Canadian Judicial Council to revamp the conduct process to deal with complaints made about judges. In June 2023 the Judges Act was amended to put the new process in place. Members of the CSCJA sit on panels constituted to review complaints made about the conduct of superior court judges.

The Independence of the Judiciary Committee has undertaken to review the impact of the Governments’ support of Superior Courts on judicial independence, effectiveness, and impartiality as well as the overall wellness of judges.

Every year our Technology Committee partners with the National Judicial Institute to put on a cutting edge and informative education program focused on technology.

Our Public Education and Access to Justice Committee works with other legal education organizations to promote judicial independence and the role of the judiciary and publishes reports sharing access to justice issues and initiatives from across the country.

The CSCJA also has a committee dedicated to Member Services and Wellness examining issues of insurance, regular and retired member benefits and programs that support the overall wellness of judges.

We are involved on an international scale with the International Association of Judges and the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association and we consult continuously with the CJC, the government and other legal organizations on matters of importance to our members.

In addition to fruits of our committees’ labour, members of the CSCJA are entitled to enroll in an exclusive supplementary health and travel benefits plan that is unique in Canada. It supplements and coordinates with the benefits included in the public service plan and offers unlimited in-home nursing care.

I invite you to join the CSCJA if you are not already a member and, if you are a member, I invite you to get involved in the CSCJA. You can obtain more information by getting in touch with the Council member or Director from your province, territory or court. You can contact me directly at president@cscja.ca.

Hon. Justice Mona Lynch
2023-2024 President