Annual news conference with the Chief Justice of Canada

Remarks by the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
Chief Justice of Canada

(Check against delivery)

Good morning everyone. Thank you for your interest in the Supreme Court of Canada. I am always happy to speak with journalists and update Canadians on the Court’s work and activities.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada. My colleagues and I are commemorating it with events throughout the year for all Canadians. Most recently, the Court hosted a bilingual symposium that brought together judges from Canadian and international courts, as well as lawyers, academics and journalists. The symposium explored the Court’s role in today’s justice system, and how that role can and should continue to evolve. You can now watch a recording on the Court’s website and our new YouTube channel.

We are new hosting a special exhibit in the Supreme Court’s grand entrance hall until October 9, highlighting the Court’s early history. It features original copies of the proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Supreme and Exchequer Court Act. If you cannot visit us in person, the exhibit is also available online. We owe a special thanks to Library and Archives Canada and the Senate of Canada for making this exhibit possible.

In addition, we have an outdoor exhibit at Plaza Bridge, as well as beautiful banners along the ceremonial route, which were created in partnership with Canadian Heritage.

The Royal Canadian Mint has also issued a $1 circulation coin commemorating the Court’s 150th anniversary — another partnership for which we are very grateful.

As well, the Court has held essay and art contests for students from across the country.

Even with all of these initiatives, it was important that my colleagues and I spend time connecting with Canadians in different cities. We had the pleasure of visiting Victoria and Moncton earlier this year, with three more visits planned for this fall — to Yellowknife, Sherbrooke and Thunder Bay. These visits provide the Court with opportunities to meet with the public and take their questions. We spend time at local high schools and universities speaking with students, and we also meet with lawyers, judges, and local reporters.

Although Victoria and Moncton are on opposite coasts, the people we met asked similar questions and expressed common concerns. They wanted to know about our independence as judges, our training, how we are appointed, and the ethical principles we follow. Put simply, Canadians were seeking reassurance about the strength of Canada’s constitutional democracy.

And not surprisingly. Autocratic regimes around the world are suppressing the news media, attacking the judiciary and undermining national institutions. Canadians are observing this democratic backsliding and some wonder if it could happen here too.

But I try to reassure them. For 150 years, the Supreme Court of Canada has interpreted our Constitution and shaped Canada’s legal landscape. Since 1982, it has guaranteed people’s rights and freedoms according to the Charter. And to this day, the Court ensures that the rule of law is not just a legal principle, but the bedrock of our democratic society. While Canada is not a superpower in the traditional sense of the word, it is a democratic superpower. In this country, the rule of law is non-negotiable.

That was the message that I delivered on both coasts, and that I share with you today. It is a message of confidence in our courts — that they remain steadfast guardians of the rule of law, resilient in the face of new challenges, and unwavering in their commitment to upholding the rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

This begins with the way judges are appointed. In Canada, the federal judicial appointment process is open, transparent and non-partisan. Yes, the Cabinet makes the final decision on who to appoint, but members of an independent advisory board submit the shortlist of qualified candidates. Judges hear cases and make decisions independent of undue influence. The principle of judicial independence assures Canadians that judges make decisions based on the facts and the law — nothing else. Judicial independence is not for the benefit of judges, but for the benefit of the public.

Judicial independence ensures that the Supreme Court can serve Canadians with integrity and impartiality. Since 1875, the Court has continuously adapted to meet the changing needs and expectations of society. Today, it is more open, accessible, and independent than ever before. We are committed to modernization, including through adopting an e-filing portal. The registry uses new technologies to streamline case management. We have also launched a new website that uses plain language and is more accessible, making it easier for people to find case files and other information.

While the Supreme Court of Canada is a modern institution, it honours many longstanding traditions. On October 6th, the Court will renew a tradition lost over the years by hosting a ceremony to mark the Opening of the Judicial Year. This special sitting is still held in some provinces, such as Quebec and Ontario. But the Supreme Court itself has not done so since the mid-1980s. It will offer an opportunity for the legal community to come together and reflect on the issues facing our justice system, as a new court year begins.

This event will be extra special because the judges will be wearing their new robes for the first time. My colleagues and I wore our traditional heavy scarlet robes, trimmed in white mink fur, for the last time at the Speech from the Throne on May 27th. In this 150th anniversary year, we felt it meaningful to have distinctly Canadian robes. The new gowns are proudly designed and made in Canada. That is all I will say for now—you will have to wait and see them in the fall!

Turning to the work of the Court itself, the past year has been marked by steady caseloads and important decisions. In 2024, we received about the same number of leave applications. While we heard slightly fewer appeals, the start of 2025 has been busier than usual.

In 2024, we rendered more judgments than the prior year. Those judgments addressed several areas of the law, such as the admissibility of evidence in criminal matters, language rights, and bankruptcy. Several other cases involved Indigenous rights, including self-government, historical treaty rights, and the reconciliation of constitutional protections under the Charter. You can learn more about them in our latest Year in Review, which is available on our website.

In the Year in Review, you will also find a long list of activities that the Court has recently undertaken, to making its work known Canadians. I will leave you to read them.

Instead, I want to say a few words about an event that took place on May 9 at the National Gallery of Canada. It was a gathering of more than 300 members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Canada, held to mark Europe Day. At that event, I had the honour of delivering the keynote speech.

This kind of international engagement is what I often refer to as judicial diplomacy: a dialogue undertaken in the service of the rule of law and democracy. These events provide a valuable opportunity to share Canadian perspectives and learn from the experiences of others, thereby strengthening public institutions both at home and abroad.

What struck me that evening, as I stood before the diplomatic corps, was the shared sense of responsibility that we all have in safeguarding the values that bind us — values like democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Whether we are diplomats, judges, or journalists, we all have a role to play.

That shared commitment makes me optimistic. It shows that even in challenging times, there is a steadfast dedication to uphold the principles that sustain our societies. And how fitting it is, given the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada, for Canadians to reflect on the Court’s considerable contribution to these values over the decades — and its ongoing role in sustaining them for the future.

Speaking of the future, I want to announce another upcoming event today, as planning is about to begin. In September 2027, the Court will sit in Halifax, just as it did in Quebec City in 2022 and in Winnipeg in 2019. Chief Justice Michael J. Wood and his colleagues from all levels of court in Nova Scotia will host us. I will share more details as the planning progresses. For now, I will simply say: Halifax, here we come!

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me return to the present and share a few updates about the recent work of the Canadian Judicial Council, the National Judicial Institute, and the Action Committee on Modernizing Court Operations.

As Chief Justice of Canada, I chair the Canadian Judicial Council (the CJC), which works to maintain and improve the quality of judicial services in Canada’s superior courts. Since this time last year, the Council has been hard at work on several important projects. It released Guidelines on the Use of Social Media by Federally Appointed Judges, building on the existing Ethical Principles for Judges and providing guidance for judges on safe and appropriate practices. It also published Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Canadian Courts, stressing that AI can support — but never replace — judicial decision-making. In addition, the Council published its annual Report to Canadians on Judicial Education.

Finally, it released a detailed Report on the Review of Complaints About Federally Appointed Judges for the first full year under the new conduct regime. This report provides an overview of how complaints were handled. Most were dismissed at the preliminary stage because they were deemed to be frivolous or vexatious, while some went on to further review. All decisions handed down by the review panel were published on the Council’s website, although no complaints were referred to a hearing or appeal panel. These practices demonstrate the Council’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

The Council is also working on several ongoing projects. These include a study on the health and well-being of judges, efforts to strengthen security measures for court information, and a new public education campaign to help young people learn more about Canada’s justice system.

In previous years, I have spoken about the negative impact of judicial vacancies in Canadian courts. I am delighted that the Government of Canada has reduced vacancies by around 75% over the last year and a half. That is great progress, and I hope it continues. Every timely appointment supports more efficient justice for Canadians.

In addition to chairing the Canadian Judicial Council, I also chair the National Judicial Institute. The NJI is a judge-led organization that provides education and training for judges both in Canada and internationally.

Judges see lifelong learning as essential to their work. In 2024, the NJI offered more than 75 judicial education seminars, reaching most judges. Some of these seminars brought together judges from across the country, while others focused on the unique needs of specific courts.

The NJI’s programs are distinctive because they go beyond traditional lectures. They include interactive sessions, peer-to-peer discussions, and hands-on exercises. They enable judges to learn from leading experts and one another and to apply their learning directly in practice.

The seminars cover a broad range of topics, spanning substantive legal knowledge, judicial skills, and the social contexts in which legal disputes arise. These topics included sexual assault law and gender-based violence, the impact of new technologies, trauma-informed approaches to justice, and Indigenous legal traditions.

The NJI has also expanded its digital resources, providing judges with ready access to essential materials on subjects such as youth criminal justice, sexual assault law, and — especially this year — Indigenous experiences within the justice system. These materials were developed in close collaboration with Indigenous groups and judges from across Canada.

Finally, the NJI continues to share its expertise beyond Canada’s borders, working with other countries to support their court systems. In 2024, for example, the NJI has been involved in projects in Mongolia and Vietnam.

One final update, which is about the work of the Action Committee on Modernizing Court Operations, which I co-chair with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. The Action Committee has now been working for five years.

In 2024, the Committee released guidance on using artificial intelligence in court processes. It is intended to provide guidance to court users and court administrators, complementing existing frameworks such as the Canadian Judicial Council’s guidelines for judges.

The Action Committee has also focused on Indigenous court users, releasing resources on incorporating Indigenous practices in the courts and on trauma-informed approaches to Gladue processes. We also published guidance on improving access to justice through judicial dispute resolution.

In the coming year, the Action Committee will turn to issues such as data and information management in the courts. It will also broaden its work to address the needs of historically marginalized groups in the justice system, including Indigenous people, racialized people, and people living with disabilities. I look forward to working with the new Minister of Justice on these important efforts.

I want to end with a word of thanks to all journalists here, and across the country, who cover our courts. Most people never set foot in a courtroom, so your reporting is essential. It informs Canadians about the role, work, and decisions of our courts and tribunals. Your stories provide important context and balanced perspectives on how the justice system serves Canadians. Please never underestimate the value of what you do. Your reporting helps maintain public confidence in our courts and other public institutions.

Once again, thank you to each of you. I am now happy to take your questions.

Remarks by the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
Chief Justice of Canada
On the occasion of the Annual News Conference with the Parliamentary Press Gallery
Wellington Building
Ottawa, Ontario
June 10, 2025

Related link

Archived video of the press conference