Ontario Judicial Council

Complaints

You can find information about the Council’s complaints process on this page. You can complain to the Ontario Judicial Council about a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice if you believe their conduct is improper. The Council cannot consider complaints about judges’ decisions. The Council has no power to review or change a judge’s decision.

Council Policy on Complaints and Communications

Council staff will not respond to:

Complaints that contain rude, abusive or threatening language
Communications that are persistent, unduly repetitive and/or vexatious
Complaints that appear to be merely academic or mischievous inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can complain to the Council?

Anyone who believes that a judge has behaved inappropriately may make a complaint to the Ontario Judicial Council.

Who can I complain to the Council about?

Complaints about Judges

You can complain to the Council about judges of the Ontario Court of Justice. Judges of the Ontario Court of Justice decide most criminal and family cases in the province. They wear red sashes in court.

To find the names of judges of the Ontario Court of Justice, please visit Judges of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Complaints about Justice of Peace

If you have a complaint about a justice of the peace of the Ontario Court of Justice, you should send your complaint to the Justices of the Peace Review Council. Justices of the peace work in two main areas: criminal law and provincial offences. They wear green sashes in court.

To find the names of justices of the peace of the Ontario Court of Justice, please visit Justices of the Peace of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Complaints about Other Justice System Participants

You cannot complain to the Judicial Council or Justices of the Peace Review Council about:

Judges of the Superior Court of Justice or Court of Appeal for Ontario
Associate Judges of the Superior Court of Justice
Deputy Judges of the Small Claims Court
Lawyers, paralegals, or Crown Attorneys
Police Officers or Court Staff
Tribunals
Children’s Aid Society Lawyers or Staff
Justice system in Ontario

For more information about how to complain about someone other than a member of the Ontario Court of Justice, please see Other Complaint Bodies.

What can I complain to the Council about?

Eligible Complaints

The Council can consider complaints about:

the conduct or behaviour of a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice. Conduct means the way a person behaves, especially towards others.

For more information on the standards of conduct for judges, please see Standards of Conduct.

Non-Eligible Complaints

The Council cannot consider complaints about judges’ decisions. The Council cannot consider complaints about:

mistakes in a judge’s decision or order
errors of law or procedure
how long a judge let each side speak
what a judge let a witness say in court
a judge accepting or rejecting documents
a judge accepting or rejecting a witness’s evidence
the sentence imposed by a judge

Appeal courts review these types of complaints, not the Judicial Council. For more information, see What if I disagree with a judge’s decision?

What if I disagree with a judge’s decision?

Council’s Role

If you have a complaint about a judge’s decision, you may want to get legal advice from a lawyer or a paralegal. A lawyer or paralegal may be able to give you advice about how to appeal or review the decision. The Council cannot:

change a judge’s decision
review the evidence that the judge considered
order a new trial
order that a particular judge not hear a case

It is important to get legal advice as soon as possible so you can meet any deadlines for your appeal or review. Council staff cannot give you legal advice.

Finding Legal Advice or Information

If you do not have a lawyer or paralegal and want legal advice, you can contact the Law Society Referral Service. If you qualify to use the service, they will give you the name of a lawyer or paralegal who practices in the right legal area. The lawyer or paralegal will provide a 30-minute free consultation.

For more information about the service, please visit https://lsrs.lso.ca/lsrs/welcome or contact:

Phone : 1-800-268-8326
Phone : 416-947-3330 (within GTA)

Legal Aid Ontario may help pay for a lawyer to represent you or may provide free legal advice over the phone. You must meet criteria to get help from Legal Aid, including financial criteria. For more information about Legal Aid Ontario, please visit Legal Aid Ontario or contact:

Phone : 1-800-668-8258
Phone : 1-800-855-0511 (Bell relay)

For more information about getting legal help for Criminal or Family law, please visit Criminal Law: Steps to Justice or Family Law: Steps to Justice.

How do I make a complaint to the Council?

To make a complaint, you must write a letter to the Council. If you would like the Council to use a specific title or pronouns for you, please tell us in your letter. Your complaint letter must include:

Name
Return address
Details about your complaint.

Please see What information should I put in my complaint to the Council? for more details.

Written complaints should be mailed or faxed to:

The Ontario Judicial Council, 1 Queen Street East, Box 65, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2W5
Fax : 416-327-2339

What information should I put in my complaint to the Council?

Complaints About Conduct in Court

If you are complaining about something a judge did in court, your letter should include:

Date(s) of the court hearing(s)
Place of the court hearing(s)
Names of the parties to the court hearing
- For criminal or Provincial Offences Act cases, this means the name of the defendant(s)
- For family law cases, this means the names of the participants in the case, for example, the names of the parents
The court file number, if you have it
As much detail as possible about why you think the judge behaved inappropriately

Complaints About Conduct Outside of Court

If you are complaining about something a judge did outside of court, your letter should include as much information as possible about what happened. For example, try to answer these questions:

What did the judge do? When and where?
Was anyone else there at the time?
Why do you think the judge’s behaviour was wrong?

No response from Council

The Council does not respond to complaints:

Without a return address
Using rude, abusive, or threatening language
Repetitive complaints about issues that are not within the Council’s jurisdiction to consider

Is there a fee to complain to the Council?

No. There is no fee to complain to the Council.

Do I need a lawyer to complain to the Council?

No. You do not need a lawyer to complain to the Council.

If you need help in preparing your complaint, please see Can I get help in making a complaint to the Council?

What languages can I use to complain to the Council?

You can write your complaint to the Council in English or French.

Can I complain about a judge who is currently hearing my case?

Yes, but the Council’s policy is that if a complaint relates to an ongoing court or other legal proceeding, the Council will not generally consider the complaint until the proceeding is over. The proceeding is only over when the proceeding and any appeal or judicial review is no longer in court.

If you complain to the Council about an ongoing court case, the Council will ask you to write back once your case is over. The Council will keep your letter on file until you write back to say your case is over.

If your complaint is about a decision the judge has made in your ongoing court case, please note that the Council cannot consider a complaint about the judge’s decision. For information about what to do if you disagree with a judge’s decision, see What if I disagree with a judge’s decision?

What happens after I make a complaint to the Council?

1. Complaint Received:

The Council staff will review your letter to confirm if your complaint is about the conduct of a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice.
If you are complaining about someone or something other than the conduct of a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice, the Council will send you a letter with information about other resources that may be available to you.
If your complaint relates to an ongoing court case, Council staff will ask you to write back after the court case is over.

2. Complaint Subcommittee Considers Complaint:

Consists of a judge and a community member of the Council.
Reviews eligible complaints and related materials (e.g., court transcripts, court audio recording).
May invite the judge to respond to the complaint.
Considers complaints in private.
Decides whether to:
- Dismiss the complaint, or
- Refer the complaint to a review panel of the Council

3. Review Panel Considers Complaint:

Consists of four members: two judges, a lawyer, and a community member of the Council.
Considers complaints in private.
Decides whether to:
- Dismiss the complaint.
- Refer the complaint to the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.
- Order a formal hearing into the complaint

4. Hearing Panel Holds Public Hearing:

Consists of four members: two judges, one lawyer member, and one community member of the Council.
Decides whether the judge engaged in judicial misconduct.
If the hearing panel decides the judge engaged in judicial misconduct, the hearing panel may:
- Warn the judge.
- Reprimand the judge.
- Order the judge to apologize.
- Order the judge to take steps, such as receiving education.
- Suspend the judge, with or without pay.
- Recommend to the Attorney General that the judge be removed from office.
If a hearing panel recommends removal, the Attorney General may initiate removal proceedings.

5. Notice of Decision: The Council will send you a letter to let you know the outcome of your complaint, and will provide the reasons for the Council’s decision.

6. Objecting to a Council Decision:

Decisions by a complaint subcommittee, review panel or hearing panel of the Council are final.
There is no right to appeal a Council decision.
A complainant or a judge may bring an application for judicial review of a Council decision.

Can I get help in making a complaint to the Council?

Council staff cannot give legal advice. If you need more information or help in making a complaint, please call the Council:

Phone : 1-800-806-5186
Phone : 416-327-5672 (within GTA)
Phone : 1-800-855-0511 (relay)

Other Complaint Bodies

You can find information about making a complaint about someone other than a judge or justice of the peace of the Ontario Court of Justice at the links below:

Judges of the Superior Court of Justice: