The Canadian Judicial Council is a reviewing a complaint into the conduct of Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown, who is currently on leave..A complaint was made against Brown on Jan. 29 to Christopher Hinkson, chief justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia and chairperson of the council's Judicial Conduct Committee..Late last month, it was announced Brown was on leave for an unknown reason. "Unfortunately, at this time we cannot disclose why Justice Brown is currently on leave, to respect confidentiality," Supreme Court spokesperson Stéphanie Bachand said at the time. "There has been no statement by the court for this same reason.".Brown's absence was first noticed in February when online legal news service Law360 Canada asked the top court why Brown was not included in a recent 8-0 judgment on the appeal of Colin McGregor, who was convicted of sexual assault. The court mentioned Brown "did not participate in the final disposition of the judgment.".The Canadian Judicial Council was created in 1971 to investigate improper conduct and maintain the standards of the profession. The council said it decided to launch the probe into Brown after questions were raised about the court's ability to function without him..Brown was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on Aug. 31, 2015. Before that, he was the chair of the Health Law Institute and the University Appeals Board and chair of the Professional Review Board at the University of Alberta.
