News Release

Attorney General Seeks Civil Justice Input

McGuinty Government Aiming For Faster, Less Costly Civil Justice

January 15, 2008

News

TORONTO — Ontario is looking for input from legal associations, lawyers and judges on how to make the civil justice system faster and less expensive.

“Our goal is to help Ontarians resolve disputes faster with lower costs by simplifying the civil justice system,” said Attorney General Chris Bentley.

Bentley is holding focussed discussions in communities across Ontario following the release of the Civil Justice Reform Project: Summary of Findings and Recommendations, a commissioned report from the Honourable Coulter Osborne.

The Attorney General will begin his tour today in Toronto, and continue over the next two months with stops in a number of communities across the province.

In November 2007, the government released Mr. Osborne’s 81 recommendations touching on 18 areas of procedural and substantive law, including small claims, trial management, appeals, technology, civility, unrepresented litigants and proportionality.

To develop his recommendations, Mr. Osborne carried out province-wide consultations, researched reforms in other jurisdictions, struck three advisory committees and reviewed over 100 submissions.

The summary report is available on the ministry’s website in both French and English at www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca.

Public comment on the Civil Justice Reform Project: Summary of Findings and Recommendations can be sent to attorneygeneral@ontario.ca.

“Our civil justice system exists to serve the people of Ontario,” added Bentley.  “I’m interested in hearing how Mr.Osborne’s recommendations will improve the speed and affordability of our system.”

Contacts

Sheamus Murphy
Minister's Office, 416-326-1785

Brendan Crawley
Communications Branch, 416-326-2210

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