Courts of Saskatchewan

Judicial Appointments

Court of King’s Bench

Individuals who wish to be considered for appointment as a judge of the Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan must apply to the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs.

Generally, individuals require 10 years at the bar of a province or territory before applying.

Upon receiving the application and determining if the candidate meets the threshold criteria for a federal judicial appointment, the Commissioner will forward the candidate’s file to the appropriate committee for assessment (in the case of lawyers) and for comment (in the case of those holding provincial judicial office).

Independent judicial advisory committees assess the qualifications of the lawyers who apply. Extensive consultations in both the legal and non-legal communities are conducted for each candidate. Professional competence and overall merit are the primary qualifications. The assessment criteria used by the committees relate to professional competence and experience, personal characteristics and potential impediments to appointment.

The committees assess candidates on the basis of two categories – “recommended”, or “unable to recommend” for an appointment. After the assessment, candidates are notified of the date they were assessed but are not provided with the results. Assessments are valid for a period of two years from that date and during that time, a “recommended” candidate remains on the list of those available for judicial appointment by the Minister of Justice.

Appointments are made by the Governor General acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet. A recommendation for appointment is made to Cabinet by the Minister of Justice with respect to the appointment of puisne judges, and by the Prime Minister with respect to the appointment of Chief Justices.

For more detailed information about the appointment process, see the: Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs website.