Office of the Commissioner for Commissariat a la
Federal Judicial Affairs Canada magistrature f?d?rale Canada

Ottawa, Canada
K1A 1E3

March 27, 2019

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Milton
House of Commons

Parliament Hill Of?ce

Justice Building Room 501

Ottawa, Ontario KIA 0A6

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday regarding the release to the media of
con?dential matters related to appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada.

I am deeply concerned and troubled about the release to the media of any con?dential
information, be it accurate or not, that pertains to judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of
Canada, and to some of the ?nest jurists in our country. The release of any such con?dential
information is wholly inappropriate.

The responsibilities of my of?ce are de?ned in the Judges Act. These are, generally, to
administer the Act, provide support to the Canadian Judicial Council, and take on other duties for
the proper functioning of the judicial system in Canada. Amongst those other duties entrusted to
my of?ce for the proper functioning of the judicial system in Canada is the support and
administration of the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial
Appointments. Recent reports in the media do not refer however to any matter regarding the
Advisory Board?s work.

Essentially, my of?ce is the intermediary between the judiciary and the executive, and the
Judges Act does not provide me with any investigatory power. My of?ce is unlike certain other
federal organisations whose mandates are essentially to investigate, and Whose authority,
mechanisms and timelines for such may be de?ned in their own statute.

In light of my particular role and my enabling statute, I am therefore not in position to accede to
your request to investigate.

Yours truly,



Marc A. Giroux
Commissioner

Canad'a'