Working as a judge in Canada

The profession is one of the highest ranking in the country. We tell you about the prospects and conditions of work for judges in Canada.

Canada is a country that targets highly skilled professionals to cover all labour market needs. A job as a judge is highly listed across Canada, in addition, representatives of this profession earn 4-5 times the average salary.

However, if you are planning to immigrate to Canada, you should take a closer look at such provinces as Manitoba and New Brunswick. According to Job Bank, these provinces have the most favourable prospects for employment in this profession.

Salaries of judges

As already mentioned, the profession of judge in Canada is one of the highest paid. Salary depends on different factors: employment requirements, qualifications, working conditions and the location of the employer.

According to official information, judges in Canada earn on average $228,412 CAD per year or $19,034 CAD per month.

Judges in Canada — what do they do?

According to the Canadian Occupational Handbook, judges in Canada:

preside over the court, explain and enforce the rules of procedure, and rule on the admissibility of evidence;
instruct the jury on the laws applicable to the case;
weigh and consider evidence in non-jury trials and decide the legal guilt or innocence or degree of responsibility of the accused or defendant;
convicts in criminal cases and determine the amount of damages or other appropriate remedy in civil cases;
The divorce and division of property between the spouses;
establish custody of children between the contesting parents and other guardians;
execute court orders for access or support;
supervise the work of other judges and court staff;
judges may specialize in specific areas of law, such as civil, criminal or family law.

Where and how judges work in Canada

Judges preside over criminal and civil cases in federal and provincial courts. For many, judges are the epitome of the justice system itself. Despite popular belief, Canadian judges do not wear a white wig or bang a gavel.

Judges are entrusted with important work which entails a number of privileges, but also entails considerable responsibilities. Judges may not retire until they reach the age of 75. They must also never demonstrate their political preferences or express their feelings to the media about the decisions they make.

The judge acts as an impartial party in resolving disputes (between individuals, groups, institutions, companies and even different levels of government). Judges do this by applying the laws and decisions of other courts in Canada, while ensuring that the rights of all parties are respected.

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There are more than 2,000 judges in Canada. Their roles vary greatly depending on the type of cases they hear — criminal cases, divorce, breach of contract, etc.

Judges work mainly in provincial and federal courts. The specific functions they perform and the types of cases they hear depend on the court in which they sit.

Courts of first instance

Litigation is heard in courts of first instance (such as small claims courts or provincial high courts). Judges sitting in these types of courts play a very active role and sometimes participate in discussions between the parties, especially if the parties are not represented by lawyers.

Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada

Judges of the provincial appellate courts or the Supreme Court of Canada do not hear trials and, therefore, do not give any testimony. Rather, their role is to hear submissions from lawyers who challenge or appeal the judge's decision.

Employment requirements

In order to work as a judge in Canada, it is required as a minimum:

extensive experience as a lawyer or professor of law with full-time membership in a bar association;
membership in good standing in a provincial or territorial law society or bar association;
those applying for more senior court positions, such as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, should usually have experience on that court.

In Canada, judges are appointed by federal or provincial bodies.