"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Saturday, 4 January 2014

GUEST POST

THE HIGH COST OF JUSTICE


Let me quote from an article in yesterday's Globe and Mail:

"At 62, Justice Marc Nadon of Ottawa has reached the magic number.

His age plus his 18 years in the Federal Court's trial and appeal divisions added up to 80 - allowing him the option to work about half his usual hours and still receive his full pay of $288,100. An option he took. To mark the transition, he took four weeks off for a southern holiday, then returned to a lightened workload."

His appointment by the Prime Minister to the Supreme Court, an appointment that has been challenged by the Province of Quebec and a Toronto lawyer, is presently up in the air. Ironically it will be up to the Supreme Court to rule on his acceptability.

Some time ago he moved into an office in the Supreme Court building, notwithstanding the challenges to his appointment. He was directed to remove himself forthwith. Some cojones.

If he is ultimately confirmed by his future fellow justices he can look forward to an annual salary, as of April 1, 2013, of $351,700.

It would be interesting to know what his annual pension would be if he serves until retirement age of 75.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Justice Nadon made an error, just a wee one, while telling of his teen years. He said he had been drafted by an NHL team. In this day & age, it took minutes to find the listings of all the draft choices for that team. He wasn't on the roster.