Academic and policy circles have been abuzz lately over whether unelected and unaccountable judges should play as great a role in policy making as they currently do. It was Canada`s Supreme Court, for example, that decided in 2002 to extend voting rights to all prisoners. And when Parliament changed the definition of marriage to include gay and lesbian couples in 2005, it was reacting to decisions of provincial appeal courts. To understand this debate we need to appreciate the fundamentals of how courts operate. The Courts provides a well-informed account of the judicial system and its place in democratic life. Ian Greene offers an insider`s perspective on the role of judges, lawyers, and expert witnesses; the cost of litigation; the representativeness of juries; legal aid issues; and questions of jury reform. He also examines judicial activism in the wider context of public participation in courts administration and judicial selection and of how responsive the courts are to the expectations of Canadian citizens. The Courts moves its examination of the judicial system beyond the well-trodden topics of judicial appointment, discipline, independence, and review to consider the ways in which courts affect daily life in terms of democratic principles. Although courts are often viewed as elitist and unaccountable, they are more valuable aspect of democratic practice than most citizens realize.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references: p. 169-176
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 347.71/01
- General Note
- Includes index Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn---
- ISBN
- 9780774855150 0774811846
- LCCN
- KE8200
- LCCN Item number
- G74 2006eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOONL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xvii, 182 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)slc00208507 (OCoLC)648671126 (CaOOCEL)406832
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaOONL
Table of Contents
- Contents 6
- Foreword 8
- Introduction 12
- 1 Canada’s Courts in Context 22
- 2 Public Participation in the Justice System 38
- 3 Inclusiveness 70
- 4 Responsiveness of Courts to Expectations: Independence, Behaviour, and Administration 95
- 5 Responsiveness of Judicial Decisions to Canadian Democracy 128
- 6 The Courts and Democracy 171
- Discussion Questions 183
- Additional Reading 185
- Works Cited 188
- Index 196
- A 196
- B 196
- C 196
- D 197
- E 197
- F 197
- G 198
- H 198
- I 198
- J 198
- K 199
- L 199
- M 199
- N 199
- O 199
- P 200
- Q 200
- R 200
- S 200
- T 201
- U 201
- V 201
- W 201
- Y 201
- Z 201
