Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment to the Tax Court of Canada
News release
October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Laurie A. Goldbach, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, is appointed a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada. Justice Goldbach replaces Justice A. Pelletier, who was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Tax Court of Canada on December 14, 2023.
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“I wish Justice Goldbach every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a member of the Tax Court of Canada.”
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Laurie A. Goldbach was raised in Arva, a hamlet near London, Ontario. She received a B.A. Hons (1995) from Huron College at the University of Western Ontario and a LL.B. from University of Victoria (1998). She clerked with the Court of Appeal for Ontario before being called to the Ontario Bar in 1999, and the Alberta Bar in 2000.
Justice Goldbach has lived and worked in Calgary for the past 25 years. She began her litigation career with Bennett Jones LLP before moving to a tax litigation boutique within Deloitte LLP in 2014. She joined Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in 2017 where she led the national tax disputes practice and served as regional group manager of the specialized business group. She has appeared before courts from coast to coast: the Supreme Court of Canada, all levels of courts in Alberta and Quebec, the Federal Courts, the Tax Court of Canada, and courts in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia.
Justice Goldbach chaired the Tax Court Bench and Bar Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, was a Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and a regular speaker at professional development programs and conferences. She has been invested in mentoring students and lawyers and supporting mental health and wellness in the legal community. She is a long-time supporter of ASSIST and co-chaired a task force on mental wellness amongst dispute lawyers.
Justice Goldbach and her spouse, Brett, are proud parents of one remarkable teenage daughter.
Quick facts
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The Government of Canada has appointed more than 790 judges since November 2015. This includes 163 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023, a pace of appointments that has no precedent in Canadian history. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
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To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provided for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
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Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
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Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
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The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
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Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
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The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.
Contacts
For more information, media may contact:
Chantalle Aubertin
Deputy Director, Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General
613-992-6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca
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