There is a common factor to the difficulties we face: a lot of people are involved in the field of justice. We have chief justices on the one hand and provinces on the other. Although appointments are a federal responsibility, the administration of justice is in provincial jurisdiction. So there are a lot of bridges to build.
Some bridges were built a few years ago when there were problems in connection with the Contraventions Act. Committees were set up. Those bridges were imposed by the court when a tribunal indicated that the feds should be more proactive in terms of the Contraventions Act. Those bridges are still being built and agreements with those providing the services are still being reached. But people at municipal and provincial level, who are not necessarily under federal control, are often the actual primary interface with the public. That is a difficulty.
Another reason why the situation is difficult is that, as a community, we lack a solid network capable of assisting the Department of Justice. To move things forward, the department needs information on what is happening in the trenches. That need can be met by lawyers and their communities. In Ontario, it is not a major problem. The Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO) operates in the province and is a very solid, active and reasonable organization. The fact remains that such is not the case everywhere.