(Ottawa) The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) is investigating a complaint regarding “allegations about the conduct” of Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown, who was placed on compulsory leave on 1er last February.
The highest court in the country made the announcement Tuesday, by means of a press release, without however providing further details on the nature of the allegations of which the chief justice, Richard Wagner, was informed on January 31.
The next day, i.e. the 1er February, “following discussion with Justice Brown, Justice Wagner placed him on leave of absence from his duties at the Supreme Court of Canada, effective immediately, pending determination of the complaint by the Board,” the Court said. .
In its own press release published the same day, the CCM does not reveal more about the alleged misconduct that led to the filing of the complaint.
This was sent on January 29 to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia and Chairman of the Council’s Judicial Conduct Committee, Christopher Hinkson. He asked Judge Brown to comment on the allegations on January 31, which he did on February 20.
The Supreme Court of Canada assured that “all necessary arrangements have been made” for its activities to continue, mentioning in passing that the court is “authorized to sit with a minimum of five judges”.
Born in British Columbia, Justice Brown made his career in Alberta.
He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada on August 31, 2015.
The absence of the magistrate from the bench had been noticed lately; also “in light of the issues raised regarding the absence of a Supreme Court of Canada justice, the Chair of the Judicial Conduct Committee decided that it was in the public interest to announce the review of this case “.