Worried about “slippage” and possible “service disruptions” in courthouses, the Barreau du Québec is calling on Friday for an action plan and investments to deal with the crisis of judicial delays.
“The system has reached its limits. At present, there are very real risks of slippages or service disruptions that could cause significant harm to citizens and generate a lot of insecurity towards judicial institutions, ”wrote the president of Quebec, Catherine Claveau, in a press release. transmitted to the media.
Faced with what it describes as a “genuine crisis of confidence in Quebec’s judicial institutions”, the Barreau is demanding “major investments” from the Quebec government and the establishment of a “significant justice action plan “.
The Bar writes in its press release that investments have “remained rather timid” over the years, highlighting however the exception that was the plan to modernize the justice system, launched in 2018.
“Over time, justice has been neglected, particularly in terms of funding, and the consequences of this negligence on citizens have been underestimated”, notes the professional order, which oversees the practice of nearly 30,000 lawyers. .
“For many years, the Barreau du Québec has presented its recommendations for investment in justice to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Justice,” the Barreau also points out. In the context of the current labor shortage, it appeals to all partners in the legal community so that they can “identify, together, concrete and concerted actions aimed at ensuring accessible and quality justice”.
“We must send a clear message to citizens in order to demonstrate our commitment to them and to Quebec justice,” argues the Bar.
In interview at Montreal Journal earlier this week, Superior Court Chief Justice Jacques Fournier said he had repeatedly challenged the government over the past two years about the lack of judicial support staff in courthouses. His counterpart at the Court of Quebec, Judge Lucie Rondeau, did the same.
Thursday, The duty also revealed that Judge Serge Champoux has resigned as President of the Conference of Judges of the Court of Quebec. The magistrate is concerned about the impact of a decision by the Court of Quebec, which wants its judges to reduce their time spent on the bench. “That I voluntarily slow down my performance of work knowing the effects that my gesture will have on the accused, the victims, the communities does not seem fair to me and I am unable to accept it”, he wrote in a email sent to colleagues.
The decision of the Court of Quebec could cause significant delays in 50,000 files in one year, according to estimates by the Ministry of Justice. For this in particular, the Government of Quebec has asked the Court to review its decision, effective as of September.