Dr. Glenn Fox is a professor of agricultural and natural resource economics in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph. He joined the faculty at Guelph in 1985, after completing his PhD in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. He has also taught in the Economics Department at the University of Western Ontario. He teaches land economics, resource economics and methodology. His research interests include the economics of property rights, regulatory takings, transaction costs and economics, and law.

Mr. Bruce Haines Q.C. has 35 years experience as a practicing lawyer, including "Personal Injuries" ,"Wrongful Dismissal" and a variety of other areas such as insurance claims, contract disputes and the defence of lawsuits and claims. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1958 and in 1961 earned an LL.B degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law followed by admission to the Bar in 1963. Mr. Haines Q.C. is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation, and as a Specialist in Family Law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel, Province of Ontario and appointed as an Instructor Bar Admission Course, Criminal Procedure .

Dr. Al Rosen, Ph.D., FCA, FCMA, CPA (USA), CFE, FHKSA, CIP, CA.IFA is one of Canada's leading forensic accountants who has given expert accounting testimony in Canada's highest courts; is a fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Ontario and Alberta, a certified fraud examiner, and a specialist in investigative and forensic accounting. For 15 years he served as a technical advisor to three Auditors' General of Canada. Dr. Rosen has taught accounting at universities across North America. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1957 and later earned his M.B.A. degree from the University of Washington. In 1966, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Washington. He founded Rosen & Associates Ltd. in 1990

Chairman's Keynote Address:

The change of government following the general election has raised hopes that changes to the justice system such as the arrangements for selecting judges may see reform along the lines that many of us have been advocating. During the year, this movement has received support from several prominent Canadians who have been on the inside of the process. While the new Justice Minister has also been supportive in principle and moved the process forward a little, substantial changes have yet to be made. The CJRB will continue to press in this key area.

This year, after examining the annual reports of the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC), the CJRB prepared a brief for Treasury Board President the Hon. John Baird concerning Canadian Judicial Council non-compliance with Treasury Board rules that came into effect December 2003. Mr. Pierre Poilievre, Parliamentary Assistant to the Hon. John Baird makes reference to the CJRB brief in a letter to Justice Minister Hon. Vic Toews. "Beginning on December 12, 2003, Treasury Board instituted a policy of proactive disclosure of contracts over $10,000, travel, hospitality and employee reclassifications. The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) does not publish its contracts, hospitality or travel expenses, nor does it post its reclassification of employees...Can you please let me know why the CJRB's request (for this information) has not been answered?" asks Mr. Poilievre.

The CJRB has also taken the Privacy Commission of Canada to task for failing to report privacy breaches of the Income Tax Act to the Crown Prosecutor. As a result, the laws that define certain privacy invasions as criminal are not being applied, nor the associated private information appropriately safeguarded.

With the current government focus now directed to accountability and transparency, the CJRB is seeking to have previously exempt organizations like the Canadian Judicial Council, and the National Judicial Institute plus programs like the Federally funded Court Challenges included in the Access to Information Act.

Over the past year, visits to the Canadian Justice Review Board website www.cjrb.ca increased seven-fold, indicating a growing public awareness and concern about the state of the justice system in Canada

The Board is grateful to its Directors for their ongoing advice, especially to founding chairperson Professor Robert Martin who has been a constant source of guidance and inspiration, to Executive Director William Nichol who continues to develop and grow the organization with tact and great insight, to our Vice Chairman Lynne Cohen, to our Treasurer Gwen Landolt and to retiring founding director Dr. Ted Morton. We are also encouraged by the interest and support for the CJRB's goals that has been expressed by directors elect Dr. Glenn Fox, Mr. Bruce Haines Q.C. and Dr. Al Rosen. While we again take satisfaction from our progress, we recognize that there is much to be done.

June 12, 2006
David A. Kahn
Chairman
Canadian Justice Review Board