Consulting Others

Raising levels of awareness and understanding of judicial issues in Canada is one of Council's long-term objectives. 2010 provided Council with a timely opportunity to consult with other organizations with whom Council sometimes works to obtain their views on a number of related issues. A good starting point for such an undertaking was to gain an understanding of how others perceive the work of Council Questions which we wish to discuss included: are other organizations involved in justice matters aware of our activities and mandate? What are their overall impressions of our work? Is there support for our strategic objectives? Do our information efforts meet expectations? These are all questions worth asking – the answers to which will inform future strategic communications planning. Council wishes to thank all of those individuals from the various organizations who contributed their time to this exercise and sharing with us their views on how our organization can further improve.

Key results from Interviews

1. Many respondents told Council that the judiciary continues to be held in high regard;
2. Council should continue to work hard to deliver on its commitment to transparency;
3. Council should continue to speak out on issues of judicial independence;
4. Council should actively engage in public education on the roles and responsibilities of judges and the justice system.

Key issues facing the Judiciary

In addition to issues of judicial independence, access to justice, and the need for public education, our stakeholders suggested that Council focus on:

1. the heavy workloads of judges;
2. delays;
3. the need for the judiciary to be more reflective of Canada's multicultural fabric;
4. the judicial appointment process;
5. the difficulty in balancing publication bans with the open court concept;
6. issues with the quality and accuracy of media coverage.