NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2024
This past quarter, the Action Committee on Modernizing Court Operations welcomed a new member and published three guidance documents, including the first publications led by our Indigenous Advisory Group.
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ACTION COMMITTEE NEWS
The Action Committee is pleased to welcome Chief Justice Manon Savard of the Court of Appeal of Quebec. The Honourable Chief Justice Savard replaces the Honourable Justice Mary Moreau, who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- The Role of Indigenous Courtworkers in Criminal Proceedings: This publication explores the role of Indigenous Courtworkers, who act as bridges between Indigenous accused persons and the Canadian justice system by providing their clients information and assistance throughout justice processes and connecting them to relevant legal and social resources. Indigenous Courtworkers also promote the court’s awareness and appreciation of the values, customs, languages, and socio-economic conditions of Indigenous people.
- Working with Indigenous Courtworkers – Useful Tips: Collaborating effectively with Indigenous Courtworkers can help create a more welcoming, inclusive and accessible environment for Indigenous court users and help ensure that these users’ unique cultural values, their experiences, and the challenges they have historically faced in accessing the Canadian justice system are properly considered. This publication offers practical insights on how judges and justice actors can collaborate effectively with Indigenous Courtworkers to enable them to assist both their clients and the court most efficiently.
- Planning for and Responding to Emergencies in the Courts: Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased frequency of disrupting events, such as severe weather and wildfires, have highlighted the need for courts across Canada to have clear response and continuity plans to minimize operational disruptions, uphold access to justice, and prevent backlog and delays in the face of future emergencies. This publication outlines considerations for preparing for an emergency, including how to take stock of regular court operations, assess the impacts of various types of emergencies, and develop plans to respond to the emergency and continue operations in the face of its effects.
WHO WE ARE
The Action Committee on Modernizing Court Operations is a national leadership body that supports Canada’s courts in their modernization efforts. The Committee provides non-prescriptive, practical guidance for addressing challenges, and highlights opportunities and innovative practices to modernize court operations and improve access to justice for court users at all levels of Canadian courts, in all types of court matters. It also identifies areas of further study that may interest policy-makers, academics, and training providers in the field of court operations.
The Action Committee is co-chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Arif Virani. Its members include senior representatives of the judiciary and ministries responsible for Justice from various Canadian jurisdictions. The Committee is supported by an Indigenous Advisory Group to ensure that Indigenous perspectives are adequately reflected in the Action Committee’s work and a Technical Working Group to ensure that national perspectives are reflected.
The Action Committee welcomes feedback, and relies upon collaborative information sharing, to inform its work on relevant topics. Contact us at AC-secretariat-CA@fja-cmf.gc.ca.
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