Minister Wilson-Raybould Names New Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
News Release
June 27, 2017 - Ottawa, ON - Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., QC, M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the appointment of Marc A. Giroux as Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs.
Mr. Giroux graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa in 1989, as well as the Faculty of Law of the same university in 1992, and was called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1994. Mr. Giroux has worked at the Office of Federal Judicial Affairs for the past 12 years, holding the positions of both Deputy Commissioner and Interim Commissioner. He is fluently bilingual in both official languages.
The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs (CFJA) was created in 1978 under an Act of Parliament of Canada to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and put federally appointed judges at arm’s length from the Department of Justice.
Mr. Giroux’s appointment followed a rigorous selection process partially set out in the Judges Act, as well as the Government’s new open, transparent and merit-based approach to Governor in Council appointments.
The appointment is effective immediately.
Quick Facts
- 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 Independent Advisory Committee for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments;
- 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; and
- 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.
- For further information on the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, visit: http://www.fja.gc.ca/.
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Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Kathleen Davis
Communications and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-4621
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