Emotions can run high following court decisions that attract public attention. The Canadian Bar Association reminds political leaders that this is precisely when measured language matters most.
Disagreement with a court's ruling is legitimate in a democracy, but political leaders have a responsibility to express their disagreement in ways that maintain public confidence in our legal institutions.
Calls for punishment outside the legal system undermine the rule of law, which protects all of us. Debate about sentencing and justice policy is healthy, but it must never cross over into calls for consequences beyond what the law provides. When political leaders suggest or condone punishment outside the justice system, they erode the very rule of law that safeguards everyone.
Our democracy rests on a clear distinction between political questions, resolved through democratic processes, and legal questions, resolved by independent courts. When that boundary is blurred, history shows that societies become less fair, less stable, and less secure.
Respect for the courts is not optional in a democracy; it is what keeps justice alive.
