By Canadian Press

Supreme Court chief justice says more transparency will improve faith in system

Sep 8, 2022 | 11:26 AM

MONTREAL — The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada says Canadian courts must be more transparent to maintain public faith in the justice system.

Chief Justice Richard Wagner says judges have a role to play in making the system more transparent, including by writing their rulings in clear and accessible language.

Wagner is on a media tour ahead of two Supreme Court hearings next week in Quebec City, the second time in the high court’s history that it is hearing cases outside Ottawa. The court held hearings in Winnipeg in 2019.

The chief justice says the decision to hold travelling hearings across the country is part of a larger push to make the country’s top court more open and accessible.

He is also calling on governments to better fund the country’s justice systems, including by building more courthouses, updating technology and raising the pay of court employees.

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Wagner says that while Canadians have an impartial courts system, their governments must work to protect it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2022.

The Canadian Press