For Immediate Release
May 28, 2008
OTTAWA – The Canadian Bar Association welcomes Bill C-31, amending the Judges Act to add 20 superior court judges, calling it an excellent first step to address the pressing need for more judges in Canada.
“We are urging quick passage of these amendments by the Senate, so that the people of Canada have access to a well-functioning justice system,” says CBA President Bernard Amyot of Montreal.
Bill C-31 would increase the number of judges at a time when average trials are becoming longer, more litigants are representing themselves, and legal aid budgets are failing to meet the needs of low-income Canadians.
“Litigants without lawyers to explain the system and the process require more time and assistance from the Bench. At the same time, judges must remain impartial, and appear to be so, to fairly adjudicate the disputes before them. Achieving these competing goals can be time-consuming and challenging,” says Bernard Amyot.
“Many courts have significant backlogs and delays, which only add to the financial and emotional burden of litigation for those who rely on the legal system,” says Bernard Amyot in a letter to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
“The additional judges provided under Bill C-31 will help to alleviate these problems and enhance access to justice in Canada,” the letter continues.
The CBA letter is available on the website at:
http://www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/08-28-eng.pdf
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
- 30 -
CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Tel: (613) 237-2925, ext. 146; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
