Judicial Councils, Judicial Ethics, and Public Trust

Andrea Lawlor (McMaster University) and Dave Snow (University of Guelph) join Runnymede Radio to discuss judicial councils, judicial discipline, and the institutions responsible for upholding accountability within Canada's judiciary. Drawing on their recent scholarship, Lawlor and Snow examine the role of the Canadian Judicial Council and provincial judicial councils, explaining how judicial misconduct is investigated, how judicial ethics are enforced, and why these processes matter for judicial independence. The discussion also explores the reforms introduced through Bill C-9, the administrative role of judicial councils, and the relationship between judicial accountability, transparency, and public confidence in the courts. Throughout the conversation, the guests consider how Canada's judicial discipline system seeks to maintain both the integrity of the judiciary and the constitutional principles on which it rests.