Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment to the Tax Court of Canada

OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2023 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

John C. Yuan, Counsel in the Tax Law Services Porfolio at Justice Canada in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Tax Court of Canada. Justice Yuan fills a new position authorized further to the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1.

Quote

"I wish Justice Yuan every success in his new role. I am confident he will serve Canadians well as a member of the Tax Court of Canada."

—The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice John C. Yuan was born in Taipei, Taiwan, settling in Toronto as an immigrant at the age of three with his parents and older sister. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of Toronto and worked as an engineer for Honeywell Ltd. in Scarborough, Ontario, prior to attending law school at the University of Windsor and graduating in 1993.

Justice Yuan joined the Tax Law Services Portfolio of the Department of Justice Canada in 2022 as counsel in the legal services unit for the Canada Revenue Agency. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, he was a partner in the tax group of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, where he practised tax law for over 27 years after having been introduced to the firm as a summer law student. He has extensive experience providing legal advice on complex Canadian tax matters from working on a variety of such mandates during his legal career, including those as tax-litigation counsel.

Justice Yuan was a sessional instructor in Advanced Tax at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law.

Justice Yuan and his spouse are proud parents of a son and two daughters, who are at various stages in their respective undergraduate studies.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 615 judges since November 2015. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For more information, media may contact: Diana Ebadi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 343-574-3446, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]