Canadian Bar Association Task Force Report on Justice Issues Arising from COVID-19

The Canadian Bar Association has released the report of its task force on justice issues related to COVID-19:

"With an eye towards harnessing the promise of change for a more resilient, accessible and modern system beyond the pandemic, this report discusses how different Canadian jurisdictions and sister democracies are adapting their justice systems to address the pandemic. It then examines how best to properly implement new measures to avoid their main risks or unintended side-effects — paying particular attention to access to justice and confidence in the justice system, judicial independence, self-represented litigants and the open courts principle. The report also discusses the importance of sustainable investment in the justice system."

"The report then makes recommendations on how the justice system can become more responsive to meet the needs of, first and foremost, individuals who rely on the justice system to resolve their legal problems."

"Two principal themes underlie this report. First, there is no turning back. The pandemic propelled the justice system into a long-awaited modernization. We must continue forward and build on the measures, procedures and innovations implemented in response to the pandemic and focus on the needs of the users of the justice system. Second, new measures and technology must be deployed in a manner that enhances access to justice — rather than unintentionally inhibit it."