Rossiter comes under scrutiny
Morell native Eugene Rossiter, the chief justice of the Tax Court of Canada, is under review by the body that oversees federally appointed judges in Canada.
The Canadian Judicial Council began the review into Rossiter and two other judges after revelations on CBC’s “The Fifth Estate” and Radio-Canada’s “Enquete” last week.
The documentaries showed two judges attending evening social events during a KPMG-sponsored tax conference in Madrid last fall.
A third judge — Rossiter — was revealed making a speech in which he promoted drinking alcohol with the tax industry.
Norman Sabourin, executive director of the Canadian Judicial Council, told “The Fifth Estate” that he launched two investigations after watching the CBC coverage. A further investigation into a third judge was launched after a complaint was received from the public.
Sabourin told CBC News he has already informed the three judges of the review process, described by the council as an initial investigation.
That investigation, which could take up to two months, could end there or, if unresolved, the matter could be referred to a special review panel.
Sabourin cautioned there are “benefits’’ in judges attending educational tax conferences. The judicial council itself signed off on the Madrid conference. He said concerns relate to the judges attending evening social events.
At a recent tax conference in Calgary, Rossiter defended the practice of judges on his tax court drinking alcohol at evening social events with tax industry officials.
“We will have coffee and we will have pizza and we will have wine and lots of it,’’ he said before hundreds of accountants, lawyers and other members of the tax industry from across Canada.
Sabourin declined to comment on those remarks, except to say that chief justices, in particular, have a duty to “set ethical aspirations.’’
He said there can be occasions when judges and lawyers get together for drinks without there being anything inappropriate.
“If the wine at some point is paid by the bar, the next day is paid by the bench, these are normal gatherings where good exchanges can take place,’’ he said.
Rossiter was a prominent Conservative organizer and well- known lawyer in Charlottetown before being appointed to the tax court in 2006. He received a bachelor of laws degree in 1978 from Dalhousie University and a bachelor of business administration in 1974 from St. Francis Xavier University.
He was admitted to the Bar of Prince Edward Island in 1978. In 1979, Rossiter practised law with the firm of Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales in Charlottetown.
He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991.