Federal Court Associate Judges — Number and Workload

Summary#

The Associate Judges (Federal Court) Regulations fix how many associate judges the Federal Court can have and set a minimum workload for judges who choose semi‑retirement. They allow up to nine associate judges and require a supernumerary (part‑time) associate judge to carry at least 50% of a full associate judge’s workload. These rules came into force on May 1, 2023.

What it does#

• Fixes the maximum number of associate judges for the Federal Court at nine.
• Sets the workload of a supernumerary (semi‑retired) associate judge at a minimum of 50% of a non‑supernumerary associate judge’s workload.
• Does not change pay, benefits, or who is eligible to be an associate judge.
• Comes into force on the day the regulations were registered: May 1, 2023.

Who's affected#

• Associate judges of the Federal Court, including those who may elect to become supernumerary (part‑time).
• The Chief Justice of the Federal Court, who assigns workloads.
• The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada (CFJA) and other court administrators who keep staffing lists and application materials up to date.
• The federal government’s budget offices, because associate judges’ salaries are paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
• Ordinary Canadians and businesses will not see new costs or new restrictions from these regulations.

Why it matters#

• It makes court staffing clearer to the public by putting a fixed head count (nine) into regulation.
• It provides predictable expectations about how much work a semi‑retired (supernumerary) associate judge will do (at least 50%), which helps courts plan case assignments.
• It helps the government predict salary costs paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, because the maximum number of funded associate judge positions is now specified.
• The change is largely technical and administrative: it does not create new positions or change pay, but it does lock in the current staffing level and clarify the role of supernumerary judges.