Chief justice says Canadian courts not accessible enough for public

VANCOUVER – The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada is preaching the need for improved access to justice for the public, particularly for civil and family matters.

Beverley McLachlin raised the issue on Saturday in a speech to the Canadian Bar Association’s annual conference in Vancouver.

She blamed costs and delays in litigation for preventing people from bringing grievances to the justice system.

She says there are many issues preventing people from having their day in court, such a lack of judges, and number of cases before the courts.

McLachlin says judicial leaders across the country must make an effort to ensure the court systems in their jurisdictions are running smoothly.

She says if people don’t think they can get ready access to justice they won’t have high respect for the law.

She says Canada, unlike other nations, still believes access to justice is an important part of democracy.

However she stopped short of naming nations in which she feels the justice system is increasingly inaccessible.