CBABC releases report on public confidence in justice system

CBABC releases report on public confidence in justice system
CLEBC Staff January 27, 2010

The British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association ("CBABC") has released a report, Confidence in the Justice System in British Columbia: The Problem, Consequences and Potential Remedies commissioned by the CBABC and researched and written by Professor Neil Boyd.

The report, which is a first step in addressing the issue of public confidence in the justice system in BC, finds that British Columbians have less confidence in the justice system (50 per cent of British Columbians express confidence in the system) than other Canadians (a national average of 57 per cent express confidence in the justice system).

The report identifies public education as an important component of increasing members? of the public?s confidence in the system, and makes the following recommendations:

Key stakeholders should hold a series of meetings to discuss the problem and create a document to improve public understanding of crime, changing crime rates, sentencing, parole, and the roles of participants in the criminal justice system. The document should then be provided to the public with the cooperation and support of the Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Participation in the JUSTIS project of 2010, which would allow for a survey of approximately 1,000 British Columbians, should be considered. The JUSTIS System surveys a representative sample and allows comparisons with 30 nation states of the European Union.