2.3 Creation of a steering committee
Steering Committee
| Year | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Issue | Lack of access to justice in French |
| Impacts following FLSC’s intervention |
|
| Current status | Waiting for a permanent committee on access to justice in French |
Following the Rouleau-LeVay report, the Commissioner and the Honourable John Gerretsen, then Attorney General, made a joint announcement on the establishment of a Steering Committee to act on the recommendations.
Effectiveness of the intervention
Creating the Steering Committee showed leadership on the Attorney General’s part, as mentioned by the Commissioner in several of his annual reports. Furthermore, the work of the new committee over a period of several years resulted in concrete action and produced clear progress. The Steering Committee noted that the justice sector ministries, including the Ministry of the Attorney General, had responded positively to the Rouleau-LeVay report’s recommendations.
In its final report,20 the Steering Committee provided an overview of the practical solutions implemented in response to the Rouleau-LeVay report, suggested strategies for addressing persistent problems, and recommended the establishment of a “long-term mechanism, such as an FLS oversight committee, to monitor and measure ongoing FLS progress in the province” and new measures to enhance access to justice in French for the province’s Francophones.
The Steering Committee presented the government with a draft proposal for a pilot project to improve access to justice in French. The Commissioner followed with a recommendation in 2014 for such a project, which was launched in 2015. The creation and work of the Steering Committee and the implementation of its recommendations have made a positive impact for Francophones.
The office of the Attorney General formally confirmed its intention to create an advisory council on access to justice in French that would report directly to him. This decision is good news for the Francophones. The Office of the Commissioner will reserve a section in next year’s annual report to properly evaluate this initiative.
20. Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, Enhancing Access to Justice in French: A Response to the Access to Justice in French Report , Toronto, 2015.