Thank you to members of this committee for once again inviting me to speak here today. I would like to thank this committee and its members who listened to the concerns of ordinary Canadians and acted upon those concerns.
We're here because former jurors from across the country, having served in difficult and disturbing criminal trials, have suffered from their experiences in court and in the course of serving their civic duty. Some have suffered for years, even decades, after the verdict had been delivered. Exposed to unspeakable evil, graphic images, disturbing testimony, difficult and challenging legal charges, and the challenges of deliberation, jurors have developed forms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, extreme stress and PTSD. Worse still was that many of these jurors had no access to support after their jury service or found it extremely difficult to come by, often deepening their trauma.
These jurors voiced their concerns, shared their stories, many of whom had never spoken about these events before, and asked their government to intervene so that Canadians serving jury duty in the future could receive adequate mental health support to be able to return to their lives, their employment and their families.
I am again extremely thankful for this committee and the extensive study it undertook on jury duty and mental health. It is one of those recommendations from this committee's report that lead to Bill C-417.
As a former juror, I'm not the same person coming after that trial as I was going in. I left the courthouse stunned after a four-month trial and a gruelling five-day deliberation. I couldn't settle back into my life, my work, my routine. I was bombarded by trial images constantly throughout the day, regardless of where I was or what I was doing at the time. Completely unable to sleep, I would sit like a zombie, and if I slept at all, I was subject to traumatic nightmares. I knew something was wrong with me. I knew this wasn't normal.
When it finally came time for me to confront my mental health issues, I was shocked that there were no services available for me at the time in Ontario, because it needed a judge's order. I was shocked also that my EAP program, from one of this country's largest employers, would not provide me with services because of the legal conflicts they felt existed in my role as a juror. I was further shocked that many psychologists and psychiatrists were also unwilling to take me on as a patient because of the perceived legal repercussions.
Mental health is a chief concern of Canadians, and the stigma surrounding mental illness is slowly beginning to be shed through effective public health communication, activism and grassroots social acceptance. Canadians are beginning to understand that their mental health is as important as their physical health and are encouraged to seek assistance when the need arises.
Core to effective psychological therapeutic practice and counselling is free and open exchange between the patient and the practitioner. The root cause of the injury is discussed and addressed in a means that is safe, and in a place of trust.
How then can an injured juror receive effective treatment, if they are bound by secrecy from discussing the very source of psychological injury stemming from jury service, and barred from obtaining services with this provision in the first place?
Members of the committee, Bill C-417 is vitally important to Canadians serving jury duty. I've often said that jury duty is one of the most important remaining civic responsibilities expected of Canadian citizens. Indeed, it is likely the last mandatory service remaining since the abolition of military conscription.
I've also said that Canadians have a conflicted relationship with jury duty. Many see it as an inconvenience, a burden and a major disruption rather than accepting the important responsibility that it is.
Any reform to jury duty improves Canadians' confidence in the system and reflects positively....
Members of the committee, I am extremely grateful for Bill C-417, as it constitutes an important reform which removes a significant legal barrier impacting Canadians after their jury service.
While I celebrate Bill C-417, I would be remiss if I did not draw attention to the remaining recommendations published in the committee report "Improving Supports for Jurors in Canada”. I am hopeful that those findings too will form the basis for legislation in the future.
Thank you once again to this committee for the invitation to appear before you today and for your great work.