As the Canadian Judicial Council marks its 50th anniversary of service to Canadians, it is timely that we have revised and modernized Ethical Principles for Judges. From their first publication in 1998, these principles have laid out the ethical frame of reference to which all judges aspire: judicial independence, integrity and respect, diligence and competence, equality and impartiality.

Regulating Judges presents a novel approach to judicial studies. It goes beyond the traditional clash of judicial independence versus judicial accountability. Drawing on regulatory theory, Richard Devlin and Adam Dodek argue that judicial regulation is multi-faceted and requires us to consider the complex interplay of values, institutional norms, procedures, resources and outcomes. Inspired by this conceptual framework, the book invites scholars from 19 jurisdictions to describe and critique the regulatory regimes for a variety of countries from around the world.

The process by which Supreme Court judges are appointed is traditionally a quiet affair, but this certainly wasn’t the case when Prime Minister Stephen Harper selected Justice Marc Nadon – a federal court judge – for appointment to Canada’s highest court. Here, for the first time, is the complete story of “the Nadon Reference” – one of the strangest sagas in Canadian legal history. The Tenth Justice offers a detailed analysis of the background, issues surrounding, and legacy of the Reference re Supreme Court Act, ss 5 and 6.

As a judge, Beverley McLachlin has had an unequalled impact on Canadian life. She stands out for her unique ability to stand up for the values and beliefs that reflect the best of Canada and Canadians. As chief justice, she led the way to assisted suicide legislation, far greater recognition of aboriginal rights and title, allowing safe injection sites for drug users and many other changes that have had a dramatic impact on Canadian life. Less well known is her work to modify the way the Supreme Court judges work together to emphasize collegiality and to encourage judges on the court to pay closer attention to real-world information about the issues they are considering. Her courageous action to defend the independence of the court and her own personal integrity when it was attacked by Stephen Harper — an incident discussed and documented fully in this book — underlines her strength of character and integrity. This book sketches Beverley McLachlin's experiences growing up in rural Alberta, attending university, becoming a lawyer and then a judge. At a time when governments were seeking qualified women for senior positions in Canada's courts, she was selected by politicians, both Liberal and Conservative, to fill progressively higher positions. Ian Greene and Peter McCormick focus on her time on the Supreme Court offering readers a balanced, informed perspective on the role she defined for herself, remarkable for her prodigious work and the clarity of her decisions. Their background as leading Canadian writers on the role of the judiciary in Canada allows them to offer an independent and readable appreciation of her contributions to Canadian life.

Globally, countries are faced with a complex act of statecraft: how to design and deploy a defensible complaints and discipline regime for judges. In this collection, contributors provide critical analyses of judicial complaints and discipline systems in thirteen diverse jurisdictions, revealing that an effective and legitimate regime requires the nuanced calibration of numerous public values including independence, accountability, impartiality, fairness, reasoned justification, transparency, representation, and efficiency.