The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance

has the honour to present its

NINTH REPORT

Your Committee, to which was referred Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Judges Act and certain other Acts in relation to courts, has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Monday, December 11, 2006, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment.  Your Committee appends to this report certain observations relating to the Bill.

Respectfully submitted, 

JOSEPH A. DAY
Chair

Observations to the Ninth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance (Bill C-17)

Your Committee is concerned about the practice by the Department of Justice of placing technical amendments in a bill that, in the Committee’s opinion, should essentially be a response to the report of the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission and, as such, relate only to amendments to the Judges Act.

Your Committee heard from an official of the Department of Justice that there are difficulties in addressing technical amendments of the type found in Part 2 of Bill C-17 through the Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act process.  Your Committee therefore urges the Department of Justice to review its practices in an effort to find a separate process by which these issues can be dealt with.  Your Committee looks forward to receiving follow-up from the Department of Justice on this matter.