Joanne Walsh, the Chief Magistrate, has been suspended by the Judicial and Legal
Services Commission (JLSC).
Legal sources said the suspension, effective July 20, 2023, will be with full pay
until the tribunal appointed by the JLSC submits its report, following a hearing to
be carried out into the matters surrounding Chief Magistrate Walsh.
The names of the judges who will sit on the panel have not been released. It is
unlikely that this will happen before the tribunal members arrive in St. John’s for
the hearing. The sources said the hearing is likely to take place in August although
a precise date has not been given.
Informed sources say the charges were filed by the Regional Judicial and Legal
Services Commission, following an investigation into several complaints lodged
against the Chief Magistrate. A total of 10 disciplinary charges have been filed
against Magistrate Walsh.
The informed source reported that the probe into Walsh’s behavior was conducted
by Justice Stanley John, assigned by the Commission.
There has been a long list of complaints lodged against the Chief Magistrate
regarding the manner in which she dispenses justice from the bench, her
interactions with defendants before her, and her general attitude towards staff of
the magistracy.
There is also one case in which a senior officer at the St. John's Police Station had
accused the chief magistrate of conduct unbecoming of her office. The officer said
to be second in command at the station, recorded that she had physically assaulted
him and used indecent language in the presence of junior court staff.
That was the latest in a series of reports made, including one from a court
employee, who alleged she had been the victim of intimidation and aggression by
Walsh.
Before her suspension, there were suggestions that she ought to have recused
herself and allowed the hearing to proceed.
One of the first tasks at hand now is the appointment of an acting Chief Magistrate,
who will perform the duties until the matter is resolved.
