Judges need training: Ambrose
Conservative leader wants appointees to federal bench to continue education in sexual assault law
OTTAWA — Changes the Liberals have made to the way judges are appointed would not necessarily prevent someone who believes in stereotypes about sexual assault cases from presiding over one of those trials, interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said Tuesday.
Ambrose went before the House of Commons status of women committee to discuss her private member’s bill that would require anyone who wanted to be considered for an appointment to the bench to undergo comprehensive training in sexual assault law.
The bill, C-337, would also require the Canadian Judicial Council to report on continuing education courses in matters related to sexual assault law and change the Criminal Code to make courts provide written decisions in sexual assault cases.
There were some tense moments, as Liberal MPs pointed out that it was a Conservative justice minister who appointed Robin Camp, who asked a sexual assault complainant in a trial why she couldn’t keep her knees together, to the Federal Court.
Camp, who was a provincial court judge in Alberta when he made the comments, re signed from the Federal Court last month.
Ambrose said her bill is not about assigning blame, but about making sure judges have better training.
Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld said the federal government had designed a new, merit-based appointments process, with independent judicial advisory committees whose members have undergone training in diversity, unconscious bias and how to assess merit.
“I have seen people appointed who came with incredible CVs and then do things that surprised everyone,” Ambrose said.
“So it’s not enough. It’s just not enough,” she said.
The terse exchange aside, the proposed legislation has broad support from all sides of the House of Commons, where MPs voted unanimously last month to fast-track it and send it straight to committee. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time there is room for improvement.
The 2017 budget proposes $2.7 million over five years, plus $500,000 annually afterwards, for the Canadian Judicial Council to support training on ethics and conduct for federally appointed judges, while also ensuring access to professional development that is gender-and culturally sensitive. The status of women committee recently released a report recommending all judges and RCMP officers should go through mandatory training on genderbased violence and sexual assault.