Citizenship judge

A citizenship judge is an official in Canada who assesses referred applications to ensure they meet the residence requirements for Canadian citizenship and presides over citizenship ceremonies to administer the Oath of Citizenship for successful applicants. Citizenship judges also speak to community groups, schools, and other audiences about the process to become a citizen, as well as Canadian values and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. As independent decision makers, citizenship judges comprise the Citizenship Commission a body that is arms length from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The Commission is led by a senior judge who is first amongs equals.

Citizenship judges are appointed in accordance with the Citizenship Act by the Governor General-in-Council on the recommendation of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Citizenship judges are addressed as Judge [name] rather than Your Honour.

Unlike Justice of the peace, Citizenship judges are not judicial officers.

Current citizenship judges

• Renata Brum Bozzi, Senior Citizenship Judge since 6 October 2013
• Robert Larry Gravel
• Veronica Johnson
• Ann E.Janega
• Lillian Klein
• Trang Nguyen
• James McCrae - former Manitoba MLA, provincial cabinet minister and Brandon City Councillor; served as court reporter and Hansard reporter
• Dane Minor
• Farid Osmane
• Andrea Paine - former legislative assistant, advisor and press secretary to various Quebec provincial ministers
• Gerald Pash
• Angelo Persichilli - former Director of Communications, Prime Minister's Office, Toronto broadcaster with multicultural station OMNI Television
• Rafiq Rokerya Former Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) Taxation Audit Manager, Mississauga, Ontario
• Ted Salci - former Mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Marian Sami
• Marie Senécal-Tremblay
• Nancy Siew
• Myriam Taschereau
• Norman Vachon
• Albert Wong
• Roy Chew Yee Wong
• Joe Woodard

Regalia

Citizenship judges wear a black judicial gown with burgundy accent. A heraldic badge is worn on the right and official national awards may be worn on the left. Judicial tabs are worn with a white wing collar shirt.

External links

• Information at Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Profiles of Citizenship Judges
• Citizenship Commission