Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v. Quebec (Attorney General)

Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v. Quebec (Attorney General)
Collection
Supreme Court Judgments
Date
2016-10-14
Neutral citation
2016 SCC 39
Report
[2016] 2 SCR 116
Case number
36165
Judges
McLachlin, Beverley; Abella, Rosalie Silberman; Cromwell, Thomas Albert; Moldaver, Michael J.; Karakatsanis, Andromache; Wagner, Richard; Gascon, Clément; Côté, Suzanne; Brown, Russell
On appeal from
Quebec
Subjects
Constitutional law
Notes
SCC Case Information: 36165
Decision Content
SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
Citation: Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2016 SCC 39, [2016] 2 S.C.R. 116
Appeal heard: January 18, 2016
Judgment rendered: October 14, 2016
Docket: 36165
Between:
Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec,
Christine Auger, Jacques Barbès, Réjean Bédard,
Dominique Benoît, Georges Benoît, Michel Boissonneault,
Suzanne Bousquet, Sylvie Desmeules, Julie Dionne,
Marie-Chantal Doucet, Louis Duguay, Gaby Dumas,
Nathalie Duperron Roy, Réna Émond, Pierre Fortin,
Louise Gallant, Marie-Josée Hénault, François Kouri,
Jean-Georges Laliberté, Robert Lanctôt, Luc Marchildon,
Sylvie Marcotte, Nicole Martin, Danielle Michaud,
Gilles Michaud, Lucie Morissette, Monique Perron,
Jean-Gilles Racicot, Gaétan Ratté, Marc Renaud,
Rosaire Vallières, Pierre Verrette, Johanne White,
Gilles Pigeon, Léopold Goulet, Yannick Couture,
Marie-Claude Bélanger and Patricia Compagnone
Appellants
and
Attorney General of Quebec and
Minister of Justice of Quebec
Respondents
- and -
Attorney General of Canada, Attorney General of Ontario,
Conférence des juges de la Cour du Québec and
Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario
Interveners
Coram: McLachlin C.J. and Abella, Cromwell, Moldaver, Karakatsanis, Wagner, Gascon, Côté and Brown JJ.
Joint Reasons for Judgment:
(paras. 1 to 107)
Karakatsanis, Wagner and Côté JJ. (McLachlin C.J. and Abella, Cromwell, Moldaver, Gascon and Brown JJ. concurring)
Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2016 SCC 39, [2016] 2 S.C.R. 116
Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec,
Christine Auger, Jacques Barbès, Réjean Bédard,
Dominique Benoît, Georges Benoît, Michel Boissonneault,
Suzanne Bousquet, Sylvie Desmeules, Julie Dionne,
Marie‑Chantal Doucet, Louis Duguay, Gaby Dumas,
Nathalie Duperron Roy, Réna Émond, Pierre Fortin,
Louise Gallant, Marie‑Josée Hénault, François Kouri,
Jean‑Georges Laliberté, Robert Lanctôt, Luc Marchildon,
Sylvie Marcotte, Nicole Martin, Danielle Michaud,
Gilles Michaud, Lucie Morissette, Monique Perron,
Jean‑Gilles Racicot, Gaétan Ratté, Marc Renaud,
Rosaire Vallières, Pierre Verrette, Johanne White,
Gilles Pigeon, Léopold Goulet, Yannick Couture,
Marie‑Claude Bélanger and Patricia Compagnone Appellants
v.
Attorney General of Quebec and
Minister of Justice of Quebec Respondents
and
Attorney General of Canada,
Attorney General of Ontario,
Conférence des juges de la Cour du Québec and
Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario Interveners
Indexed as: Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v. Quebec (Attorney General)
2016 SCC 39
File No.: 36165.
2016: January 18; 2016: October 14.
Present: McLachlin C.J. and Abella, Cromwell, Moldaver, Karakatsanis, Wagner, Gascon, Côté and Brown JJ.
on appeal from the court of appeal for quebec
Constitutional law — Judicial independence — Financial security — Justices of peace — Judicial reform — Provincial legislation amending status of justices of peace, including employment conditions, remuneration and pension plan — Whether new judicial office created — Whether committee review of remuneration and pension plan necessary and if so, when should review occur — Whether legislation infringes constitutional guarantee of judicial independence — If so, whether infringement justifiable — Constitution Act, 1867 , preamble — Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 1 , 11 (d) — Act to amend the Courts of Justice Act and other legislative provisions as regards the status of justices of the peace, S.Q. 2004, c. 12, ss. 27, 30 and 32 — Décret 932‑2008, (2008) 140 G.O. 2, 5681.
Constitutional law — Judicial independence — Financial security — Pensions — Justices of peace — Judicial reform — Section 178 of Courts of Justice Act, CQLR, c. T‑16, mandates participation of justices of peace in public service pension plan — Whether pension plan, as part of overall remuneration, meets minimum constitutional threshold required for judicial office.
In 2004, the Quebec government reformed its justices of the peace regime in response to a Court of Appeal judgment declaring that the existing regime violated the tenure security guarantee of judicial independence. Six sitting justices of the peace were transitioned to the new regime, with the same remuneration as before; however, justices newly appointed to that office received a lower remuneration. None of the legislative provisions affecting remuneration were put to a reviewing committee before 2007, which then made recommendations only on a forward‑looking basis. The government followed up on these recommendations by making executive Order 932-2008. In 2008, the Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec and its individual members (presiding justices of the peace (“PJPs”)) challenged ss. 27, 30 and 32 of the Act to amend the Courts of Justice Act and other legislative provisions as regards the status of justices of the peace (the “amending Act”) and executive Order 932‑2008, as infringing the financial security guarantee of judicial independence. In addition, the PJPs argued that s. 178 of the Courts of Justice Act (“CJA”), which mandates their participation in the public service Pension Plan of Management Personnel, also infringes the financial security guarantee. Both the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal, in turn, found no violation of judicial independence because the provisions were part of a reform resulting in the creation of a new judicial office.
Held: The appeal should be allowed in part. Sections 27, 30 and 32 of the Act to amend the Courts of Justice Act and other legislative provisions as regards the status of justices of the peace are unconstitutional.
A judicial reform may raise questions of judicial independence both for judges occupying offices that are reformed or abolished, and for judges appointed to newly created positions. Any measure that affects remuneration will automatically trigger the institutional dimension of financial security. The initial remuneration for the new office must meet the constitutional minimum required to ensure judicial integrity. Without committee review of the initial remuneration, there is no guarantee that the constitutional minimum is met. A review is also required where the new judges were transferred from an old judicial office. The government should not be able to replace one office with another, adjust the jurisdiction, transfer the judges and change the remuneration, without any safeguards. Because sitting judges are in an existing relationship with the government, their relationship is more susceptible to the risk of manipulation. This warrants additional protection for sitting judges. Thus, while the government retains the discretion to set the remuneration of newly appointed judges, it cannot change the remuneration of sitting judges until after committee review.
To protect judicial independence when a new judicial office is created, all remuneration must be reviewed within a reasonable time. A reasonable time refers to the time required to implement a judicial reform, to establish the appropriate review committee and to ensure proper participation by the new judges. It will generally be measured in months, and not in years.
In the context of a judicial reform, the same reasons that justify deferring committee review of the remuneration for newly appointed judges apply equally to sitting judges who are transferred to a new office. Requiring prior review for sitting judges would create delays for judicial reforms that are in the public interest, potentially prolong an unconstitutional judicial regime, undermine judicial independence and negatively impact public perception. The principle of judicial independence exists for the benefit of the public, not for the judge. Viewed from the perspective of the public, a review within a reasonable time for all judges is an effective safeguard for financial security, even if some judges were previously serving in another judicial office.
In determining whether a judicial office has merely been changed, or a new judicial office has been created, the judicial function and the conditions of employment, including tenure, financial security, selection and administrative independence, are relevant considerations. In this case, the 2004 reform created a new judicial office. The PJPs have a different jurisdiction than under the previous regime: they do not have jurisdiction to preside over bail hearings and do not hear summary prosecutions under Part XXVII of the Criminal Code . In addition, the PJPs now benefit from greater judicial independence guarantees: they enjoy tenure until the age of 70; their remuneration and other benefits are subject to periodic committee review; their selection criteria are set out in the CJA; and finally, they are integrated into the Court of Québec and are thus subject to the authority of its Chief Judge.
Because the reform created a new judicial office, the remuneration of all the judges appointed to it (whether they were appointed for the first time or transferred from another office) needed to be reviewed retroactively, within a reasonable time after their appointment. Section 32 of the amending Act prohibits any review of the remuneration before 2007, although the judicial office was established in 2004. This contravenes the constitutional requirement that the initial remuneration of judges occupying a new office be reviewed by a committee within a reasonable time after their appointment. There were no compelling reasons why a review could not proceed before 2007. Three years is not a reasonable time. As such, s. 32 of the amending Act infringes the financial security guarantee of judicial independence. In addition, as ss. 27 and 30 provide for a freeze in the remuneration of the sitting judges and the establishment of the remuneration of the newly appointed judges, respectively, without referencing the need to retroactively submit the remuneration to a committee, these sections also infringe judicial independence. Finally, s. 27 infringes judicial independence because it freezes the remuneration of sitting judges before a committee has reviewed this remuneration, contrary to the financial security guarantee. As for the salary gap between the sitting judges and those newly appointed, the gap, by itself, did not infringe the financial security guarantee.
As ss. 27, 30 and 32 of the amending Act did not provide for retroactive committee review within a reasonable time, these sections infringe the institutional financial security guarantee of judicial independence, and are thus contrary to s. 11 (d) of the Charter and the preamble to the Constitution Act, 1867 . This infringement of judicial independence is not justified under s. 1 of the Charter , because there is no evidence of a dire and exceptional financial emergency. Therefore, ss. 27, 30 and 32 are unconstitutional. Because the infringement arises from the lack of committee review between 2004 and 2007, a review for this period is required for all PJPs as a remedy. The committee must consider all factors bearing on remuneration, including the remuneration of the previous judicial office. While the guarantee of judicial independence was compromised between 2004 and 2007, however, the judicial decisions rendered by the PJPs throughout that period are valid.
Since the government complied with its constitutional obligation to periodically submit PJPs remuneration to a committee from 2007 onwards, public confidence in judicial independence was in no way undermined for that later period. As such, there was no violation of judicial independence after 2007 and no defect in the executive Order 932‑2008. Moreover, any impact that the lack of committee review from 2004 to 2007 may have had on PJPs remuneration after 2007 cannot be said to have raised constitutional concerns.
Finally, s. 178 of the CJA is valid. While the Pension Plan of Management Personnel may not be as beneficial as that of the judges of the Court of Québec, as part of overall remuneration, it meets the minimum constitutional threshold required for the office of a judge such that the PJPs are not perceived as susceptible to political pressure through economic manipulation.
Cases Cited
Referred to: Pomerleau v. The Queen, 2003 CanLII 33471; Conférence des juges du Québec v. Québec (Procureur général), 2007 QCCS 2672, [2007] R.J.Q. 1556; Beauregard v. Canada, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 56; Valente v. The Queen, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 673; Reference re Remuneration of Judges of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island, [1997] 3 S.C.R. 3; Ell v. Alberta, 2003 SCC 35, [2003] 1 S.C.R. 857; Mackin v. New Brunswick (Minister of Finance), 2002 SCC 13, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 405; Provincial Court Judges’ Assn. of New Brunswick v. New Brunswick (Minister of Justice), 2005 SCC 44, [2005] 2 S.C.R. 286; R. v. Généreux, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 259; MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. v. Simpson, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 725; Masters’ Association of Ontario v. Ontario, 2011 ONCA 243, 105 O.R. (3d) 196; Ontario Deputy Judges Assn. v. Ontario (2006), 80 O.R. (3d) 481; Reference re Remuneration of Judges of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 3.
Statutes and Regulations Cited
Act respecting the Pension Plan of Management Personnel, CQLR, c. R‑12.1.
Act to amend the Courts of Justice Act and other legislative provisions as regards the status of justices of the peace, S.Q. 2004, c. 12, ss. 1, 26, 27, 30, 32, 35.
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 1 , 11 (d).
Constitution Act, 1867 , preamble, ss. 92(14) , 96 , 101 .
Courts of Justice Act, CQLR, c. T‑16, Part III.1, ss. 161, 162, 163, 165, 166, 169, 173, 175, 176, 178, 246.29, 246.42, Sch. V.
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C‑46 , Part XXVII.
Décret 689‑2004, (2004) 136 G.O. 2, 3531.
Décret 932‑2008, (2008) 140 G.O. 2, 5681.
Authors Cited
Quebec. Assemblée nationale. Journal des débats, vol. 38, no 75, 1re sess., 37e lég., 20 mai 2004, p. 4543.
Quebec. Assemblée nationale. Journal des débats de la Commission permanente des institutions, vol. 38, no 54, 1re sess., 37e lég., 28 mai 2004, p. 18.
Quebec. Comité de la rémunération des juges. Rapport du Comité de la rémunération des juges, présidé par Alban D’Amours, 23 décembre 2010 (en ligne: http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/francais/publications/rapports/pdf/remjuges2011.pdf).
Quebec. Comité de la rémunération des juges. Rapport du comité de la rémunération des juges, présidé par Daniel Johnson, avril 2008 (en ligne: http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/francais/publications/rapports/pdf/rem-juge3.pdf).
Quebec. Comité de la rémunération des juges. Rapport du Comité de la rémunération des juges, présidé par Michel Clair, 30 septembre 2013 (en ligne: http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/francais/publications/rapports/pdf/remjuges2013.pdf).
APPEAL from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal (Dalphond, Bouchard and Vauclair JJ.A.), 2014 QCCA 1654, [2014] AZ‑51107397, [2014] Q.J. No. 9733 (QL), 2014 CarswellQue 14611 (WL Can.), affirming a decision of Mongeon J., 2012 QCCS 1021, [2012] R.J.Q. 729, [2012] AZ‑50840226, [2012] J.Q. no 2260 (QL), 2012 CarswellQue 2373 (WL Can.). Appeal allowed in part.
Raymond Doray and Loïc Berdnikoff, for the appellants.
Sébastien Rochette and Brigitte Bussières, for the respondents.
François Joyal and Catherine Lawrence, for the intervener the Attorney General of Canada.
Sarah Kraicer and Josh Hunter, for the intervener the Attorney General of Ontario.
Joël Mercier and Christine Baudouin, for the intervener Conférence des juges de la Cour du Québec.
J. Thomas Curry and Paul‑Erik Veel, for the intervener the Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario.
The judgment of the Court was delivered by
Karakatsanis, Wagner and côté jJ. —
I. Introduction
[1] Legislatures have the constitutional power over the creation, transformation and abolition of judicial offices. However, legislatures must exercise this power in a way that complies with the constitutional principle of judicial independence.
[2] In 2004, the government of Quebec reformed its regime of justices of the peace in response to a Court of Appeal judgment declaring that the existing regime violated the tenure security guarantee of judicial independence. The new regime created two categories of justices of the peace. Six sitting justices were transitioned to the new tenured category, maintaining their remuneration. However, the government set the starting remuneration of the new category well below the previous levels; therefore, judges newly appointed into that office received a significantly lower remuneration than their sitting counterparts. None of the provisions affecting remuneration were put to a remuneration committee (or commission) before 2007; the committee made recommendations only on a forward-looking basis.
[3] In 2008, the appellants — the Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec and its individual members — made an application in the Superior Court. They argued that the transitional provisions relating to the setting and review of remuneration, specifically ss. 27, 30 and 32 of the Act to amend the Courts of Justice Act and other legislative provisions as regards the status of justices of the peace, S.Q. 2004, c. 12 (“Act”), and executive Order 932-2008, (2008) 140 G.O. 2, 5681, violate the financial security guarantee of judicial independence. They also argued that their participation in the public service Pension Plan of Management Personnel mandated by s. 178 of the Courts of Justice Act, CQLR, c. T-16 (“CJA”), violates the financial security guarantee.
[4] The courts below found no violation of judicial independence because the provisions were part of a reform resulting in the creation of a new judicial office.
[5] For the reasons that follow, we would allow the appeal in part. In our view, committee review of remuneration is required for any new judicial office, although it can be done retroactively within a reasonable time after the appointments. This is so even where those appointed to the new judicial office were transferred from a previous judicial office. Because ss. 27, 30 and 32 of the Act did not provide for retroactive committee review within a reasonable time after the appointments, these sections violate the financial security guarantee of judicial independence. The constitutional questions and our answers to them are set out in the Appendix to the reasons.
II. Facts
[6] Before 2004, Quebec’s justice of the peace system comprised two categories of justices: justices of the peace with limited powers, who were public servants, and justices of the peace with expanded powers (“JPEPs”), who were authorized to exercise a wide array of judicial functions.
[7] In Pomerleau v. The Queen, 2003 CanLII 33471, the Quebec Court of Appeal held that the existing system was unconstitutional because it did not guarantee the independence of justices of the peace. Since justices of the peace with limited powers were subject to removal, the court declared that they did not have the required minimum guarantees of independence. The Court of Appeal refused to suspend the effects of that declaration.
[8] Six months after Pomerleau, the National Assembly adopted the Act, which replaced Part III.1 of the CJA, entitled “Justices of the Peace”, with a new part. The new part created the offices of “presiding justice of the peace” (“PJP”) and “administrative justice of the peace”. The key provisions of the Act are set out in the Appendix.
[9] Administrative justices of the peace exercise functions that do not require judicial independence. They are not at issue in this appeal.
[10] The functions of the PJP are similar to those of the JPEP. Unlike the JPEP, however, a PJP cannot preside over bail hearings or hear summary conviction proceedings under Part XXVII of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46 (CJA, s. 173 and Schedule V). The Act also included changes to the qualifications for PJPs and to the selection and appointment processes (CJA, ss. 161, 162 and 163). PJPs are now integrated into the Court of Québec (s. 169). Moreover, they have security of tenure until the age of 70 (ss. 165 to 166). Their salary and benefits are fixed by the government after receipt of the recommendations of a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace (ss. 175 and 176). PJPs participate in the pension plan established by the Act respecting the Pension Plan of Management Personnel, CQLR, c. R‑12.1 (CJA, s. 178). Changes to this plan can be made only after a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace has reviewed them (s. 178 para. 2; s. 246.29).
[11] The Act also set out rules that governed the transition from the old system to the new. Section 26 of the Act provided that JPEPs who had been appointed before 2004 and were still in office in 2004 were to become PJPs. Section 27 provided that they were to retain the salary they had been receiving before then “until that salary is equal to the salary to be determined by the Government”, thus creating a higher level of remuneration. Further, in 2007, as a result of a Superior Court judgment regarding judges’ salaries for the period from 2001 to 2007, the former JPEPs were awarded a retroactive increase, raising their salary as of June 30, 2004, to $137,280 (see Conférence des juges du Québec v. Québec (Procureur général), 2007 QCCS 2672, [2007] R.J.Q. 1556).
[12] Moreover, s. 30 of the Act gave the government the power to unilaterally determine the salary of PJPs appointed on or after June 30, 2004. Under that section, the government made an order — Order 689-2004, (2004) 136 G.O. 2, 3531, of June 30, 2004 — in which it fixed the annual salary of PJPs at $90,000. Section 32 of the Act provided that the committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace was not to begin exercising its functions with regard to PJPs until 2007.
[13] The first new PJPs were appointed in May 2005. The Conférence des juges de paix magistrats was created in December of that year.
[14] In 2008, a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace chaired by Daniel Johnson (the “Johnson Committee”) tabled its report on, among other subjects, the remuneration of PJPs. It concluded that it lacked the authority to retroactively review remuneration for the period from 2004 to 2007 (Rapport du comité de la rémunération des juges (2008) (online), at p. IV-17). The Johnson Committee recommended that the annual salary of PJPs be raised to $110,000 for the period from 2007 to 2010 (p. IV-26). It recommended that the salary of the former JPEPs, then frozen at $137,280, be maintained. The government adopted these recommendations by way of Order 932-2008.
[15] In November 2008, the 33 PJPs and the Conférence des juges de paix magistrats commenced proceedings in the Superior Court.
[16] In 2010, a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace chaired by Alban D’Amours (the “D’Amours Committee”) recommended that the salary of PJPs be raised to $119,000 (Rapport du Comité de la rémunération des juges (2010) (online), at pp. IV-19 to IV-20), and that the salary of PJPs appointed before June 30, 2004, remain unchanged. The government adopted these recommendations. In 2013, a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace chaired by Michel Clair (the “Clair Committee”) reviewed the remuneration of PJPs once again. (See Rapport du Comité de la rémunération des juges (2013) (online).)
[17] Since 2013, the salary of PJPs appointed after 2004 has been identical to that of the former JPEPs. The existence of two tiers of remuneration has thus been eliminated.
III. Judgments of the Courts Below
A. Superior Court, 2012 QCCS 1021, [2012] R.J.Q. 729
[18] The Conférence des juges de paix magistrats challenged the constitutionality of ss. 27, 30 and 32 of the Act, as well as of s. 178 of the CJA and Order 932-2008, on the basis that they compromised the judicial independence — and more specifically, the financial security — of PJPs. The judge dismissed the application.
[19] On the issue of the constitutionality of s. 27 of the Act, the application judge found that it suffices, when the government freezes judges’ salaries, that it submit the decision to a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace within a reasonable time. In this case, the decision to freeze the remuneration of the former JPEPs who had become PJPs was submitted to and accepted by the Johnson and D’Amours committees. The time at issue was reasonable in the circumstances, as the government, although it could have acted more quickly, submitted the question of the freeze to a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace within three years.
[20] Turning to s. 30 of the Act, the application judge stressed that it was not until after the order establishing the remuneration of PJPs had been issued that candidates applied for the office and that they did so with full knowledge of the situation. This was therefore not a case of economic manipulation.
[21] The application judge further stated that, although the Johnson Committee had lacked the authority to intervene retroactively in order to assess the remuneration of PJPs for the period from 2004 to 2007, it had effectively validated the government’s decision after the fact.
[22] The application judge added that the prerogative for fixing the starting remuneration of judges lies with the government and that there is no authority to the effect that, when creating a new category of judges, the government is first required to submit their employment conditions to an independent committee. He concluded that s. 32 of the Act was valid.
[23] Finally, addressing the issue of the applicable pension plan, the application judge recognized that the plan for management personnel was less advantageous and more onerous than the one for judges of the Court of Québec. That said, two independent committees had considered the plan to be adequate.
[24] As a result, the application judge dismissed the applicants’ motion in its entirety, without costs.
B. Court of Appeal, 2014 QCCA 1654
[25] The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. It found, first, that even though it may have been beneficial to obtain a recommendation from a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace before fixing the remuneration for the new office of PJP, the government was under no constitutional obligation to do so. In the court’s opinion, such an obligation arises only where judges’ employment conditions are modified by increasing, reducing or freezing their salary.
[26] The Court of Appeal noted that the Act had had the effect of creating two new offices (those of the PJP and the administrative justice of the peace), which had replaced the two existing categories of justices of the peace. Therefore, no salaries were increased, reduced or frozen; rather, a level of remuneration was fixed for a new office.
[27] Thus, the government’s sole obligation was to order a salary level above the minimum threshold that would be required to ensure public confidence in the new judicial office. In this case, it is clear that the Court of Appeal considered the level of remuneration that was fixed to be high enough to guarantee the independence of the new PJPs.
[28] The Court of Appeal added that even if it had found that a prior recommendation from a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace was required, the remedy being sought would not have been granted, given the level of remuneration that had been ordered and the fact that there was no evidence of an attempt at economic manipulation. In the court’s opinion, to make it a systemic obligation to proceed by means of a committee on the remuneration of judges and justices of the peace regardless of the circumstances would be to allow form to prevail over substance. Moreover, the Court of Appeal found that there was nothing unlawful per se in the existence of two tiers of remuneration, as the Constitution does not require uniformity in judges’ salaries and benefits.
[29] On the issue of the establishment of the employment conditions of the former JPEPs, the Court of Appeal held that a reasonable and well-informed person would find that the Act, as a whole, had the effect of reinforcing the independence of those justices, who now benefit from broader guarantees of independence.
[30] Finally, regarding the pension plan established by s. 178 of the CJA, as amended by s. 1 of the Act, the Court of Appeal found that it was not unconstitutional, stating that [translation] “the Constitution does not require the implementation of pension plans intended solely for and controlled by judges, but merely that judges benefit from a pension plan that takes into account the specificities of their duties” (para. 111 (CanLII)). Nor does the Constitution require a uniform pension plan for all PJPs. Given that three remuneration committees had concluded that the new pension plan was adequate, the Court of Appeal was of the opinion that the submissions in this regard should be rejected on the basis that a reasonable and well-informed person would conclude that the requisite minimum threshold was met and that the plan did not expose PJPs to attempts at economic manipulation.
IV. Principles
A. Judicial Independence: General Principles
[31] Judicial independence has its basis in the preamble to the Constitution Act, 1867 , which states that the Constitution of Canada is “similar in Principle to that of the United Kingdom” (see Beauregard v. Canada, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 56, at p. 72). It is also based on s. 11 (d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , which guarantees an accused the right to a fair trial before an impartial tribunal (Valente v. The Queen, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 673, at pp. 685-89). This Court has recognized judicial independence as an unwritten constitutional principle (Reference re Remuneration of Judges of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island, [1997] 3 S.C.R. 3 (“1997 Reference”), at paras. 83-109). Judicial independence is important both for public confidence in the proper administration of justice and for the constitutional separation of powers (1997 Reference; Ell v. Alberta, 2003 SCC 35, [2003] 1 S.C.R. 857, at paras. 22-23; Mackin v. New Brunswick (Minister of Finance), 2002 SCC 13, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 405, at paras. 37-38).
[32] The principle of judicial independence applies to all courts (1997 Reference, at para. 106). In Ell, this Court found that the principle extended to Alberta’s justices of the peace because these justices performed numerous judicial functions — most notably presiding at bail hearings and issuing search warrants — that significantly affected the rights and liberties of individuals (paras. 20-26). There is no dispute in this case that judicial independence applies to Quebec’s PJPs.
[33] Judicial independence entails three objective guarantees: security of tenure, financial security, and administrative independence (1997 Reference, at para. 115; Valente, at pp. 697-712). Each of these guarantees has both an individual and an institutional dimension (1997 Reference, at para. 118). The manner in which each of these guarantees may be satisfied varies with the context (Ell, at paras. 30-32). The ultimate question is whether a reasonable and informed person would perceive that the tribunal enjoys the objective guarantees (Valente, at p. 689, cited in Ell, at para. 32; see also 1997 Reference, at para. 112). As such, judicial independence belongs not to judges, but to the public. The guarantees are not intended to be a means for judges to improve their working conditions (1997 Reference, at para. 9; Ell, at para. 29).
[34] This Court has examined the institutional dimension of the financial security guarantee on a number of occasions. This guarantee has three elements: first, remuneration cannot be changed without recourse to an independent committee (or commission); second, there are to be no negotiations between the judiciary and the executive or legislature regarding remuneration; and third, any reduction to remuneration cannot take it below a basic minimum level of remuneration required for the office of a judge (1997 Reference, at paras. 133-35; Provincial Court Judges’ Assn. of New Brunswick v. New Brunswick (Minister of Justice), 2005 SCC 44, [2005] 2 S.C.R. 286 (“Bodner”), at paras. 8-11). The purpose of these elements is to ensure that the process of setting judicial remuneration remains, to the extent possible, consistent with the depoliticized relationship between the judiciary and the other branches of government (1997 Reference, at paras. 138-46; Mackin, at paras. 53-54; Bodner, at paras. 8-11 and 14-21). A minimum level of remuneration protects the integrity of the judicial office.
[35] The role of remuneration committees has been detailed elsewhere (see, in particular, 1997 Reference, at paras. 147-85, and Bodner, at paras. 13-21). Only a few points bear repeating here. The committee must review all proposed changes to remuneration: remuneration cannot be “reduced, increased, or frozen” without prior recourse to a committee (1997 Reference, at para. 133; see also para. 174; Mackin, at paras. 57 and 69). Further, the committee reviews overall remuneration: salary, pensions, and other benefits are considered together as part of overall remuneration (Valente, at p. 704). Finally, the committee’s recommendations are not binding (Bodner, at paras. 19-20). The government may depart from the committee’s recommendations provided it gives “rational reasons” (para. 21).
B. Judicial Independence in the Context of Judicial Reform
[36] The seminal cases in the judicial independence jurisprudence do not address the issue of the financial security guarantee in the context of broad court reforms. In Valente, the question was whether or not the Ontario Provincial Court was an independent tribunal. In Beauregard, a Quebec Superior Court judge challenged the constitutional validity of a newly enacted provision providing that Superior Court judges would be required to contribute to the cost of their pension plan. R. v. Généreux, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 259, for its part, concerned the remuneration of existing members of military tribunals. The 1997 Reference involved numerous changes made by legislatures to the remuneration of provincial court judges as a result of provincial governments’ efforts to balance their budget. In Mackin, the violation of judicial independence was the result of the abolition of the status of supernumerary judge and the creation of the position of per diem judge. While the Court found that tenure security was not infringed since there was no removal from office, it nevertheless found that financial security was violated. The absence of an independent remuneration committee was fatal. Finally, Bodner concerned the nature of judicial remuneration committees and the obligation of governments to respond to these recommendations.
[37] In Ell, the issue was whether a reform to the Alberta justices of the peace regime infringed the tenure security of existing justices who lost their position as a result of this reform. This Court found that since their removal was not arbitrary, it did not violate the security of tenure guarantee (paras. 37-41). However, Ell concerned the tenure guarantee, and did not raise any issue regarding financial security.
[38] Thus, while the principles in these cases assist in our analysis, the application of the financial security guarantee in the context of broad judicial reform is an issue of first impression before this Court.
[39] Legislatures have the power and responsibility to legislate in relation to the administration of justice (Constitution Act, 1867, ss. 92(14) , 96 and 101 ). This includes the power to create, transform and abolish judicial offices. Provincial legislatures also have power over the jurisdiction of the courts they create (MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. v. Simpson, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 725, at paras. 10-12). Reforms can contribute to public confidence in the administration of justice. Indeed, by implementing reforms to the justice system, governments and legislatures often play an active role in ensuring and enhancing public confidence in the judiciary. Reforms can be driven by a number of reasons: improving the independence and qualifications of judicial officers, adapting to new realities, and increasing access to justice. However, all reforms must respect the constitutional requirements for judicial independence (paras. 36-37) and the core jurisdiction of the courts established under s. 96 of the Constitution Act, 1867 .
[40] A judicial reform may raise questions of judicial independence both for judges occupying offices that are reformed or abolished, and for judges appointed into newly created positions. Where a reform affects the conditions of sitting judges, the reform may engage all three objective guarantees of judicial independence (security of tenure, financial security, and administrative independence). However, any measure that affects remuneration will automatically trigger the institutional dimension of financial security (Mackin, at para. 61).
[41] In this case, the impact of the reform on the other guarantees of judicial independence — such as tenure security — is not at issue. The appeal raises issues relating to the financial security guarantee in the context of a judicial reform. Thus, the question is whether the requirement for prior committee review of the remuneration of a new judicial office is necessary to satisfy a reasonable and informed person that the court enjoys the objective guarantee of financial security.
V. Issues
[42] The specific issues in this case are as follows:
(1) Is a committee review necessary when a new judicial office is created?
(2) If committee review is necessary when a new judicial office is created, when should that review take place?
(3) Should sitting judges “transferred” to a new office be treated differently?
(4) What qualifies as a “new judicial office”?
(5) Were these requirements satisfied in the case at bar?
VI. Analysis
(1) Is a Committee Review Necessary When a New Judicial Office Is Created?
[43] The Court of Appeal found that because the amendments created a new judicial office, no committee review of the initial remuneration was required. The court found that the requirement for prior committee review applied only when judges’ remuneration is increased, reduced or frozen, because in these contexts, committee review guards against any government attempt to financially manipulate judges. Similarly, the respondent the Attorney General of Quebec argues that the safeguarding function of the remuneration committee — namely to avoid negotiations and maintain a depoliticized relationship between the judiciary and the other branches — is not required when a legislature creates a new office, because there is no risk of the government exerting political pressure on judges who have not yet been appointed.
[44] We disagree. Such an approach may have the unintended effect of permitting the legislature to use the creation of judicial offices to circumvent the requirements set out in the 1997 Reference: a legislature could effectively change or freeze judicial remuneration without recourse to a remuneration committee by simply creating a new