2016 Judicial Compensation Commission

On the page

• Introduction
• Commission members
• Factors that guide commissions
• Submissions
• 2016 Report 
• Previous Reports 
• Related Links

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Introduction

There is a constitutional obligation on governments to set compensation for Provincial Court judges and judicial justices through an independent, objective and effective commission process.

In accordance with this obligation, the provincial Judicial Compensation Act, S.B.C. 2003, c. 59 (“Act”) requires an independent commission be appointed to consider and report on all matters respecting the remuneration, allowances and benefits of Provincial Court judges and judicial justices. In 2015, the Act was amended to merge the Provincial Court judges and the judicial justices compensation commissions into a single Judicial Compensation Commission.

The 2016 Judicial Compensation Commission completed its review of the remuneration, allowances and benefits for Provincial Court judges and judicial justices for the period of April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2020 and delivered its final report (PDF, 4.6MB) with recommendations to the Attorney General on October 27, 2016.

On September 18, 2017 the Attorney General re-tabled the report in the Legislative Assembly and on October 25, 2017 the Legislative Assembly adopted government’s proposed response to the report.

Commission members

The following Commissioners were appointed to the 2016 Judicial Compensation Commission:

• The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, CC, QC (Chair)
• Peter Lloyd
• Brenda Eaton
• Robin N. McFee, QC
• Randal J. Kaardal, QC

Maia Tsurumi was counsel to the Commission.

Factors that guide commissions

The Judicial Compensation Act (section 5) stipulates that the Commission must be guided by the need to provide reasonable compensation for Provincial Court judges and judicial justices, taking into account all of the following:

• The need to maintain a strong court by attracting highly qualified applicants
• Changes, if any, to the jurisdiction of Judges or Judicial Justices
• Compensation provided in respect of similar judicial positions in Canada, having regard to the differences between those jurisdictions and BC
• Changes in the compensation of others paid by provincial public funds in BC
• The generally accepted current and expected economic conditions in BC
• The current and expected financial position of the government over the three fiscal years covered by the report

Submissions

• Judicial Justices Association of British Columbia (PDF, 6.7MB)
  • Judicial Justices Association of British Columbia, Reply Submissions (PDF, 6.1MB)
• Provincial Court Judges Association of British Columbia (PDF, 499KB)
  • Provincial Court Judges Association of British Columbia, Reply Submissions (PDF, 173KB)
• Government of British Columbia (PDF, 1.2MB)
  • Government of British Columbia, Supplemental Submissions (PDF, 41KB)
• Judicial Justice G. Hayes (PDF, 140KB)
• Judicial Justices S. Joseph-Tiwary and J. Chellapan (PDF, 234KB)
• Judicial Justice A.-M. Brown (PDF, 890KB)
• The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia (PDF, 751KB)
• The Judicial Council of British Columbia (PDF, 201KB)
• Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (PDF, 266KB)
• The Law Society of British Columbia (PDF, 413KB)

2016 Report 

• 2016 Judicial Compensation Commission (PDF,4.6 MB)
• 2016 Government Response (Judges) (PDF, 205KB)
• 2016 Government Response (Judicial Justices) (PDF, 197KB)

Previous Reports 

• 2013 Judges Compensation Commission (PDF, 3.2MB)
• 2013 Judicial Justices Compensation Commission (PDF, 3.1MB)
• 2010 Judges Compensation Commission (PDF, 211KB)
• 2010 Judicial Justices Compensation Commission (PDF, 217KB)
• 2007 Judges Compensation Commission (PDF, 160KB)
• 2007 Judicial Justices Compensation Commission (PDF, 2.9MB)

Related Links

• Judicial Compensation Act