Legal regulators across Canada have rolled out the “Ours to Protect” national campaign
Sixty-eight percent of Canadians believe that politics or ideologies could soon influence judgments in court, according to a study commissioned by a group of law societies across Canada.
Per the study, which was conducted by Discover, 46 percent of Canadians think the rule of law erosion observed in the US could spread to Canada. Only 44 percent of Canadians think the country’s justice system functions as it ought.
Delays or denial of access to justice was the leading justice-related concern for Canadians (92 percent), followed by political intervention in judicial decisions (91 percent). Ninety percent raised the issue of elected officials undermining court judgments, while 89 percent cited disinformation about the justice system. Eighty-seven of Canadians reported public mistrust in the courts.
Thus, the coalition of law societies has rolled out the “Ours to Protect” national campaign to promote the importance of the rule of law. The campaign identified equality, transparency, independence, and accountability as the four elements of the rule of law.
All people are held to the same legal standards; moreover, laws must be made public, be stable, and enforced fairly. Courts and the legal profession must not be subject to interference and pressure from politics, people in power, and interest groups. The rule of law serves to check and restrict authority, preventing abuse, corruption, and injustice, according to the Ours to Protect website.
“While Canadians know our system isn't perfect, 9 in 10 say the rule of law is essential for a fair and just society and that Canadians should learn more about it. The Ours to Protect campaign is a timely and ambitious effort to educate and unite Canadians around this fundamental principle of our democracy,” said Anik Bossé, Law Society of New Brunswick president, in a statement.
In September, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Alberta, and the Law Society of Manitoba commemorated the International Day of Democracy by sharing their definitions of democracy.
