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Judicial Independence Day Act

An Act to establish Judicial Independence Day

Summary

  • Designates January 11 each year as "Judicial Independence Day" across Canada.
  • Aims to raise public awareness about the importance of an impartial, independent judiciary and the rule of law.
  • Cites global threats to judicial independence, including the 2020 "1,000 Robes March" in Poland, as context.
  • Creates no new programs, spending, or regulatory changes; it is a symbolic observance.

Builder Assessment

Neutral

Overall, this bill is ceremonial and does not materially advance Build Canada's goals on growth, productivity, exports, investment, or tax reform. While it affirms a vital principle (judicial independence), it lacks concrete policy actions that would improve economic outcomes.

  • Neutral on most tenets: no fiscal, regulatory, or operational changes tied to growth or competitiveness.
  • Conflicts with the "big moves" ethos: focuses on symbolism over substantive reform.
  • To align, add measures that improve justice-system performance affecting the economy (e.g., faster civil/commercial case timelines, e-filing and digital courts, specialized commercial/IP benches, and transparent judicial appointment metrics).
  • Tie federal support to measurable outcomes (case clearance rates, time-to-judgment) and publish annual rule-of-law performance indicators linked to investment attraction.
  • Ensure zero net new administrative cost by repurposing existing communications budgets and pairing the day with an investment-branding campaign on Canada's rule-of-law advantage.

Question Period Cards

No question period cards yet.

Principles Analysis

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Canada should aim to be the world's most prosperous country.

Purely symbolic; no direct measures to raise national income or growth.

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Promote economic freedom, ambition, and breaking from bureaucratic inertia (reduce red tape).

Raises awareness of judicial independence but does not reduce red tape or expand economic freedoms.

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Drive national productivity and global competitiveness.

Rule-of-law matters for competitiveness, but this bill only declares a day with no operational reforms.

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Grow exports of Canadian products and resources.

No effect on trade policy, logistics, or market access.

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Encourage investment, innovation, and resource development.

No incentives or policy changes to drive investment or innovation.

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Deliver better public services at lower cost (government efficiency).

Does not change justice-system operations; any costs are minimal and ceremonial.

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Reform taxes to incentivize work, risk-taking, and innovation.

Contains no tax provisions.

✗

Focus on large-scale prosperity, not incrementalism.

Symbolic recognition without substantive reforms; does not advance large-scale prosperity.

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S-219

PartySenate
StatusAt second reading in the Senate
Last updatedMay 28, 2025
TopicsSocial Issues
Parliament45