Are Senators and Justices the same?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post, "News on the Douglas Inquiry?" 

It has been three years, and the CJC Inquiry is mired in incompetence.

According to the Lawyers Weekly webzine, counsel fees for one year (2011-2012) alone were over $1M. That's our taxpayers' money.

Whether or not you think (like Clare) the judge should resign or (like me) the judge should go back to work, the point is that this CJC process is ridiculous.

Dear Anonymous:

Thank you for writing to CyberSmokeBlog.

You are indeed correct in your assessment the CJC process is ridiculous. What taxpayers are seeing is like Senators it's virtually impossible to get rid of  lousy federally appointed Justices prior to the mandatory retirement age of 75 unless, of course, one crokes in the meantime -  that or you have a stick of dynamite.

Plus let us not forget, Anonymous, the $1 million in counsel legal fees cited likely does not include sundry expenditures such as transcription services (two private sector employees), security (a Winnipeg Police Service officer has been in place every day during the Inquiry), witness expenses (e.g. one witness two Ottawa-Winnipeg round trips), etc., etc., etc. Might the total cost thus far be closer to say $1.5 million. 

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk