Report of the Judicial Justices Compensation Commission : Report of the 2004 Judicial Justices Compensation Commission

It was created in direct response to the British Columbia Supreme Court’s decision in Re Independence of the Provincial Court of British Columbia Justices of the Peace5 and the Court’s recognition of the legal need for a level of judicial independence for those JPs performing judicial duties—both in court and at the Judicial Justice Centre. [...] The Commission notes that the submissions of JJP Joan Hughes were comprehensive and helpful, providing a detailed account of the day-to-day experience of a JJP working and traveling through one of the more rural areas of the province. [...] During the course of this hearing, witnesses were called by both the government and the JJP Association, and oral submissions were made by representatives of the JJP Association, the government, the Chief Judge and the Judicial Council. [...] The Government’s Current Financial Position The Supreme Court of Canada, in the Provincial Court Judges Reference, ruled that while judicial salaries must not fall below an acceptable minimum level, the courts cannot be shielded from the effects of deficit reduction: “Nothing would be more damaging to the reputation of the judiciary and the administration of justice than a perception that Judges w [...] The Laws of British Columbia In the preparation of its report and recommendations, the Commission has considered the common law principles of judicial independence as they have been developed in the case law and applied to JJPs, as well as the statutes of British Columbia, including the:.