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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 3:30 am
Time: 3:30 am
Results for criminal justice system (british columbia)
1 results foundAuthor: British Columbia. Minister of Justice Title: Modernizing British Columbia's Justice System Summary: This Green Paper is intended to highlight several key issues within the justice system of British Columbia. These issues include the way independence is preserved, the way information and processes are managed, and the way change is implemented. While significant progress has been made within the justice system in recent years, problems of cost and delay are appearing to a degree which is increasingly unacceptable. Action is required due to the reliance of British Columbians, their families and our economy on a sound system of justice. While the system’s basics – its integrity, its personnel and its ability to innovate – remain strong, indicators of the system’s performance and current health give a mixed and confusing message, particularly in the area of criminal justice. “Inputs” into the system such as the rate of crime and the number of new cases are down. But the length of time spent by people remanded in custody or on bail awaiting trial is increasing, as is the total number of people being managed by the Corrections system. Costs, too, are increasing in real terms. The system is complex and challenging to reform. While it is possible to point to areas where a discussion of reform is warranted, it is also true that there are significant issues of culture and tradition within the system that may impede real understanding and change. Standing above this is the issue of independence of decision-making within the system. It is vital for our democracy that the exercise of judgment in criminal and civil cases – by police, by counsel, by judges and others in the system – be free of interference or influence. At the same time, the close linkage between the different parts of the justice system in managing case files, and our need to explain what is happening within the system, means we must administer the justice system as a system. In doing so, we must remain on strong constitutional grounds. These complexities were before Deputy Ministers during a review of the Ministries of Attorney General and Public Safety and Solicitor General throughout the autumn of 2011. They considered evidence showing that inputs to the system were in decline, as well as the measures currently being implemented across the ministries that are meant to increase efficiencies and reduce future pressures. Considering the counter-intuitive results of the ministries’ work – that resource demands continue – Deputies engaged Internal Audit to look more closely at immediate funding pressures and future costs. A number of areas of possible reform have been identified, and many more remain to be discovered. However, two important steps are required before further conclusions about next steps are drawn. First, an immediate review by an external observer is sought by government, focused on those areas considered within the realm of judicial independence and including the delivery of concrete recommendations for action. Second, input on this Green Paper will be sought from participants in the system as well as the citizens of British Columbia, who are the system’s ultimate stakeholders. The review and consultations will continue at the same time as ongoing administrative reform initiatives are being undertaken in the ministries. In July, government will issue the results of the review and consultations, along with an update on the ongoing administrative reforms, and will develop a plan of action to be outlined in a White Paper on Justice Reform in September 2012. Details: Vancouver, British Columbia: Minister of Justice, 2012. 32p. Source: Green Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2012 at http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/public/JusticeSystemReviewGreenPaper.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/public/JusticeSystemReviewGreenPaper.pdf Shelf Number: 126402 Keywords: Administration of JusticeCriminal Justice ReformCriminal Justice System (British Columbia) |