With the inquiry into the comments made by Justice Robin Camp beginning in Calgary, the Canadian Judicial Council spoke to the media in advance, to provide background into how, why and how often they get to this point.
1. The council receives some 200 complaints on average per year. Johanna Laporte, communications director
Justice Robin Camp.
with the CJC said it’s “not a common occurrence,” as only 11 cases have come before a public inquiry in the past number of years.
2. There is no grey area, the judge is removed or not. “It’s simple, you’re a judge or you’re not, Laporte said.”
3. Justice Camp could have resigned. “All judges have that opportunity, as we all do. It remains an option for him, I suppose,” Laporte said.
4. The process won’t be immediate, and could take weeks or months. The public inquiry is the fourth of five steps in the process. After the inquiry wraps up, the judge can still make a written submission to the council regarding the report.
5. The inquiry committee members are all from outside of Alberta. The chair for the Camp inquiry is The Hon. Austin F. Cullen, associate Chief Justice of British Columbia and is joined by Hon. Deborah K. Smith, Associate Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, and Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador Hon. Raymond P. Whalen.
Related
