Section 6 — Federal Courts Act: Rank and precedence

The Chief Justices of the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court and the other judges of those courts have rank and precedence among themselves in the following order: the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal; the Chief Justice of the Federal Court; the Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court; the other judges of the Federal Court of Appeal, according to seniority determined by reference to the respective times when they became judges of the Federal Court of Canada or the Federal Court of Appeal; and the other judges of the Federal Court, according to seniority determined by reference to the respective times when they became judges of the Federal Court of Canada or the Federal Court. If the office of Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal is vacant, or the Chief Justice is absent from Canada or is for any reason unable to act, the powers and duties of the Chief Justice shall be exercised and performed by the judge of the Federal Court of Appeal who has been designated for that purpose by the Chief Justice of that Court; or if no judge has been designated under paragraph (a), or if the judge so designated is absent from Canada or is unable or unwilling to act, the senior judge of that court who is in Canada and is able and willing to act and who has not elected to hold office as a supernumerary judge under section 28 of the Judges Act . If the office of Chief Justice of the Federal Court is vacant, or the Chief Justice is absent from Canada or is for any reason unable to act, the powers and duties of the Chief Justice shall be exercised and performed by the Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court; if the office of Associate Chief Justice is vacant, or the Associate Chief Justice is absent from Canada or is for any reason unable to act, by a judge of that court designated by the Chief Justice for that purpose; or if no judge has been designated under paragraph (b), or if the judge so designated is absent from Canada or is unable or unwilling to act, by the senior judge of that court who is in Canada and is able and willing to act and who has not elected to hold office as a supernumerary judge under section 28 of the Judges Act .