Message from the Chief Judicial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer
Created in 1988, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) is a not-for-profit bilingual and independent organization dedicated to the development and delivery of educational programs for all federal, provincial and territorial judges. We work closely with the judiciary, the Courts and other judicial education organizations to ensure that high-quality education is available to every judge in Canada.
With its dedicated and professional staff, the NJI delivers a wide range of programs that respond to the evolving needs of the Canadian judiciary and address emerging issues of public importance. As a leader in the development of judicial education in Canada, our programs deal with criminal, family and civil law issues; with issues facing contemporary Canadian society; with developments in science and medicine; with the Charter; with evidence; with judicial administration, trial management, settlement conferences as well as a host of other topics for judges at all stages of their career. All NJI programs seek to integrate substantive law, skills development and awareness of social context, while using current technologies and continuously developing innovative methods for the delivery of judicial education and resources.
The NJI launched its international programming in 2003 which focuses on capacity building in judicial educational institutions and designing and delivering judicial education projects. More than 20 countries now see Canada as a chief architect of their legal stability and reform. From Peru, Vietnam, and Chile, to Jamaica and Ghana and the Ukraine, Canadian judges have been offering expertise in judicial training, court administration, ethics, judgment writing, and legal reform. The involvement of the judiciary in international work is grounded in its reputation for being socially aware, ethical and progressive. Canada’s bilingual and bijural legal system reflects its multicultural society, and has provided Canadian judges with the ideal background for collaborating with counterparts around the world. By strengthening judicial institutions, progress can be made towards poverty alleviation and development.
The NJI is proud to be a judge-led and judge-focused organization. Judges play key roles in the conception, development, design and delivery of our judicial education programming. The NJI could not function without the assistance and support of the members of the judiciary, its judicial associates, planning committee members and faculty. These judges are our education leaders. We thank them for their support.
The Honourable Justice Tom Crabtree
Chief Judicial Officer
Danielle May-Cuconato
Chief Executive Officer