Site Navigation

News Release

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2007

Attorney General Forms Justice-Media Liaison Committee

Brings Together Judiciary, Media, Legal And Police Organizations And Ministry Reps

TORONTO — Attorney General Michael Bryant has announced the creation of the Justice-Media Liaison Committee to improve interaction between the news media and the justice system, as recommended by the Panel on Justice and the Media.

"I am very pleased to bring together representatives from the judiciary, media, police and legal communities and the ministry to work together on justice-media issues," said Bryant. "The establishment of this committee fulfills one of the recommendations made by the Panel on Justice and the Media, and will enhance the ongoing relationship between media and the justice system."

In its August 2006 report, the Panel on Justice and the Media made 17 recommendations on ways to improve mutual understanding between the justice system and the media. One of those recommendations was to establish a committee to facilitate communication, education and problem solving.

The committee's mandate includes providing expertise and advice on justice-media issues, giving feedback on draft proposals and public education materials, helping to develop protocols and identifying systemic issues that affect justice system-media interaction.

The Justice-Media Liaison Committee members are:

• Sue Sgambati, veteran crime journalist from Court TV Canada
• Dianne Wood, justice and courts reporter for the Kitchener-Waterloo Record
• The Honourable Justice Russell Juriansz of the Ontario Court of Appeal
• The Honourable Justice James Carnwath of the Superior Court of Justice
• The Honourable Justice Joseph A. De Filippis of the Ontario Court of Justice
• Chief Paul Hamelin of the Midland Police Service, a former president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
• Hilary Linton, a Toronto lawyer and mediator, representing the Ontario Bar Association
• Thomas G. Conway, a civil and commercial litigation lawyer in Ottawa, representing the County and District Law Presidents' Association
• Ralph Steinberg, a Toronto criminal defence lawyer, representing the Criminal Lawyers' Association
• Elizabeth Bucci, counsel in the Ministry of the Attorney General's Courts Services Division, who will serve as committee chair
• Michal Fairburn, counsel in the ministry's Criminal Law Division
• Ellie Sadinsky, director of the ministry's Communications Branch

The McGuinty government has already implemented many of the panel's recommendations, including:

• establishing an agreement with Chief Justice Roy McMurtry to launch a pilot project to bring cameras to the Court of Appeal
• appointing a media contact person in every courthouse across the province
• creating a new justice-media section of its website, which includes resources and useful links.

"We have already made significant progress implementing the panel's recommendations," said Bryant. "I look forward to making further changes to improve the way the media and justice sectors interact and understand each other."

- 30 -

Disponible en français