Thank you.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairperson and honourable committee members. Thank you for this opportunity to address you regarding the newly implemented Saskatchewan juror assistance and support program.
By way of an introduction, my name is Warren Miller and I have been employed with the Ministry of Justice in Saskatchewan in the court services branch for 28 years. The majority of that time, I have spent working in a front-line court manager role as the sheriff and local registrar. I am currently the sheriff and local registrar for the Moose Jaw Judicial Centre. In addition, I recently spent approximately four years in an acting role as the director of court operations for southern Saskatchewan. It was during that period that I became more focused on the area of overall jury management in Saskatchewan, including support for jurors. During the course of my career I've been involved with numerous jury trials involving serious offences in which graphic images and evidence were tendered as evidence.
With me today is Ms. Glennis Bihun, executive director of the court services branch and the minister's designated inspector of court offices for Saskatchewan.
Jurors are called upon to consider what can be horrific and gruesome evidence as part of the important role they play in the administration of justice in our province. The experience has the potential to cause distress to jurors, who are typically unaccustomed to such things.
There is more social awareness of mental health issues now than there ever has been. There is a recognition that jury service could have a detrimental effect or negative impact on an individual, and it is appropriate that the state provide assistance and support to those citizens who have served as jurors. In Saskatchewan, between 20 and 30 jury trials take place each year, significantly fewer than in either Alberta or Ontario, but the need to support those who do serve as jurors is a priority. Emotional support for jurors was identified as a key area for improvement in the fall of 2016. We became aware of the work being done in Alberta and Ontario, so I connected with colleagues in both provinces to seek out details as to their efforts and experiences, including the recommendations made by Madam Justice Hughes related to counselling for jurors. We are very appreciative of the information shared with us and we've relied upon their experiences in designing a similar program for Saskatchewan.
Based on the information we've received from Alberta regarding utilization, we estimated that our annual costs for the program would be less than the threshold for a formal request for proposal, or RFP. Therefore, in accordance with our procurement requirements, we reached out to several established service providers in our province. This resulted in the receipt of three service quotations. These quotations were reviewed for how best they met four criteria: ease of use for participants, accessibility for participants, confidentiality, and professionalism in service delivery.
The service provider needed to be able to facilitate access to support via a 24-hour hotline available seven days a week. The ability to provide face-to-face support in multiple locations was also important as Saskatchewan has nine judicial centres plus two satellite court locations and the coroner's branch conducts inquests in additional locations around the province.
Confidentiality for the juror, their fellow jurors, and the deliberation process was emphasized. All counsellors were expected to have a minimum of a master's degree in Social Work or Psychology with a minimum of five years of practical experience. Following this evaluation, a two-year service contract was established with Morneau Shepell. The juror assistance and support program is administered by the inspector of court offices.
The Saskatchewan juror assistance and support program was launched and publicly announced by our minister on November 30, 2017. The announcement was carried by several major media outlets, and information regarding the new program was placed on the Government of Saskatchewan website with links from the Saskatchewan courts' website. Hard copies of pamphlets and information are also being made available in all our judicial centres to ensure that the public is aware of the existence of this new program.
Effective December 1, 2017, the ministry's juror assistance and support program policy requires the sheriff's office to provide all jurors with the program's brochure at the conclusion of their service or during the proceeding at the direction of the court.
Jurors would typically be instructed by the court regarding the sanctity of the deliberation process and be cautioned not to share information in this respect.
Saskatchewan’s juror assistance and support program is accessible to all those who participate as jurors in a criminal trial, a civil trial, or a coroner’s inquest in Saskatchewan. The program is accessible to those who experience personal difficulty within two months following the conclusion of a case or—at the court’s discretion—during a case.
To access the program, jurors call the established toll-free number to reach professional intake staff who are available 24-7 to connect jurors with counsellors in their area. Currently, there are 96 counsellors who are available in 24 Saskatchewan communities. Counselling will take place in person wherever possible, and alternative methods of communication will be supported for jurors in remote areas.
The program will provide jurors access to four treatment sessions with a health care professional to help them overcome the difficulties related to their jury service. Up to an additional four sessions may be approved at the recommendation of the service provider. Approval may also be granted for the spouse, life partner, or other significant family member of the juror to be permitted to participate in the sessions where appropriate. All program-supported sessions are to be concluded within 24 months of the completion of the jury duty.
Those people who served as jurors prior to December 1, 2017, are eligible to request services by contacting the service provider in writing with the following information: confirmation that they served as a juror within the two-year period of December 1, 2015, to November 30, 2017; and evidence that they started experiencing personal difficulty within two months following the conclusion of the case they served on.
At the end of the program treatment sessions, the individual would be referred to his/her health care practitioner under the Saskatchewan health plan if further treatment is required.
As with all programs of this nature, maintaining a participant’s anonymity is essential. All Saskatchewan jurors are provided with a unique number when they attend for jury selection, and this juror number will be the identifier used, rather than the participant’s name.
We have planned reviews of this new program at six months and one year. Similar to what is being done in Alberta and Ontario, mechanisms are already in place to obtain feedback from those jurors who access the program so that their experience can assist with our review process. As of last week, there have not been any requests for service in Saskatchewan.
We are grateful to and respect all those who act as jurors. They play a very important role in society. We are pleased to have implemented this program to support them.
Thank you again for this opportunity to provide you with information on this new program. We would now be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our new program.