The Liberal government has made a change to the questionnaire prospective judges must fill out before applying for a federal judicial appointment.
Updated on Sept. 26, the “Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments” now has an added section, titled, “Self-Identification Regarding Diversity (Optional).”
The added section includes options for candidates to say whether they self-identify as an “indigenous individual,” “racialized individual,” “ethnic/cultural group or other,” “individual with disability,” “2SLGBQTQI+ individual,” or “woman.”
The Department of Justice Canada said in a news release that the questionnaire was updated to “incorporate more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.”
According to the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada (FJA), the questionnaire is the primary tool used by judicial advisory committees across the country to review candidates for the bench. After reviewing candidates, they submit recommendations—using categories such as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” or “unable to recommend”—to the incumbent justice minister, David Lametti….