The new Chief Justice of the Quebec Superior Court, Honourable Justice Marie-Anne Paquette in her first interview holds nothing back on her thoughts of the fundamental issues of our judicial system.
The Honourable Justice Marie-Anne Paquette, Chief Justice of the Quebec Superior Court describes the judicial system, stating, “there’s a strong sense that everything is held together with duct tape. It takes at least one miracle a day to make it work.”
The Chief Justice’s priority since she took office in June 2022 is to modernize the judicial system. She explains that although it is proving to be a challenge, she believes that part of the solution is establishing an electronic means to retain reliable data, which at this juncture is missing. The Chief Justice paints a somber but realistic picture of our current judicial system, explaining that it is held together by “daily miracles”. One of the many issues is that the judiciary lack real time reliable data which forces the judiciary to do things blindly. According to the Chief Justice, revolutionizing the judiciary system into operating electronically will help. The initiative is led by the Quebec Ministry of Justice which aims to deliver the project “Lexius” by 2025.
Another flaw is the long delays due to the Superior Court lacking the appropriate personal and because several trials are erroneously scheduled at the same time.
The Chief Justice explains that the direct cause of the delays are due to vacant judgeships at the Superior Court. There are currently 12 vacant seats, waiting to be filled by Ottawa (the Federal Government). The Chief Justice is also asking to create an additional 9 seats, which she explains has been approved by the provincial government. What’s refreshing is that the Chief Justice recognizes that these deficits jeopardize citizens and it is why it is so important for her to repair. Now the only thing to do is wait.
Sources:
https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/17e48417-1dc5-49cc-8b81-2a9dfd08dbd7%7C_0.html
