The federal government has turned down proposals for increased salaries for federal judges, rejecting a recommendation by an independent body for a raise of $28,000 to $36,000. In a response released on Monday, the government stated its disagreement with the findings of the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission, citing the current financial outlook of Canada and the inability to justify the salary increases at this point.
The decision was announced just before the scheduled tabling of the first budget by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government, which is anticipated to have a significant deficit. Federal judges currently earn over $396,700 annually.
The Department of Justice made the decision in response to the 7th Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission report, highlighting the impact of U.S. tariffs and the commitment to meet Canada’s NATO defense spending obligations. The government emphasized that judicial salaries are already subject to yearly increases using the Industrial Aggregate Index and cannot be a source of new fiscal expenditure during a comprehensive spending review.
The commission recommended increasing judicial salaries by $28,000, along with raising associate judge salaries from 80% to 95% of puisne judge salaries. While the commission’s recommendations are not binding, it plays a crucial role in setting the salaries of judges on various courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
The government disagreed with the commission’s view that judicial salaries pose challenges in attracting qualified candidates from the private sector. It argued that judicial vacancies have decreased below historical averages and stated that judicial salaries have shown steady long-term growth exceeding the cost of living increases. Senator Pierre Dalphond, a former head of the Canadian Superior Court Judges Association, expressed skepticism towards the government’s arguments and highlighted the successful recruitment of judges from large law firms despite the current salary levels.