For several years, the problems of access to justice in Quebec have been escalating to the point of a real crisis, the consequences of which are unacceptable.
The examples reported by our Bureau of Investigation this week are very telling of the seriousness of the situation. This is due to staff shortages whose working conditions are not competitive.
There is an abundance of cases in the courts where cases have been postponed or canceled outright and they are overwhelming.
Even though the number of small claims cases has decreased, we are witnessing delays that can range from three to almost six years. These delays have almost tripled since the CAQ took office.
Devastated judges
In a case to be heard in Montreal, a judge denounced the momentous unacceptable situation. He calls on the Justice Department in the hope that it will act.
With no court clerk available, another judge had to postpone a trial. He apologized to the 87-year-old robbery victim, who has been waiting and having nightmares since 2019.
Such departures also speak volumes about the extent of the crisis.
people’s court
In these circumstances, access to justice is threatened. As for the Small Claims Court, or “People’s Court,” established to make justice more accessible to all, its mission is in jeopardy.
The government needs to stop turning a blind eye. And Attorney General Simon Jolin-Barrette must find lasting solutions. His idea of having judges at the Quebec Court work evenings and weekends when they are already under undue pressure from the situation seems completely incoherent.
Will it take some sort of Jordanian verdict in a civil case for the government to realize the extent of the crisis?
