Recommendation 4: Access to justice in French: The pilot project has been announced!
The Commissioner is pleased with the government’s efforts to implement the recommendations of the important analysis of access to justice in French in the Rouleau-Le Vay report.
In October 2014, the government announced the implementation of a pilot project6 at the Ottawa courthouse to facilitate access to justice in French. In addition, a Legal Community Engagement Committee was formed. This clearly demonstrates the seriousness of the effort, and the Commissioner is very pleased with it.
Despite the hope that this project will give a real shot in the arm to French-language services in the justice sector, there is a hitch. This pilot project is being carried out only in the Ottawa region. As a result, it fails to take account of the diversity between rural and urban areas. This is a missed opportunity to see what impact such a project would have in non-designated areas. In addition, the duration of the project is at least one year; however, it may not be possible to paint a real picture of the state of justice services in French in that time.
To ensure the project’s success, the government will have to combine it with a promotional campaign to make people aware of it. In other words, to guarantee that the project will succeed, it will be necessary to show leadership and invest the necessary time and resources. The project is an opportunity for people to see for themselves what an equitable justice system for Francophones in a minority setting looks like, and, in particular, to obtain a road map for making it a reality.
Nevertheless, the Commissioner shares the enthusiasm of the government, which is banking heavily on this pilot project, since he continues to receive complaints about the lack of access to justice in French.
6. For more information: http://news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2014/10/strengthening-access-to-justice-in-french.html (page consulted in May 2015).