The need to combat systemic racism in the courts and the importance of bringing more people of colour into the judiciary were among the topics discussed during a recent legal forum, which featured four trailblazing women from the legal community.
The Panelists
The forum was held virtually on September 17, 2020. It was led by the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and was moderated by Donna E. Young, the inaugural dean of the Faculty of Law at Ryerson University. The panel also included Marc A. Giroux, Commissioner of Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, Justice Audrey P. C. Ramsay of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Justice Diane Rowe of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, and Rajwant Mangat from the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for British Columbia.
What I found particularly interesting about this forum is that the panelists shared some of the significant moments in their lives that shaped them and helped define their dreams and aspirations. This made them relatable and helped me see that I, too, could rise to such heights if I set my mind to it.
A Call to Justice
Justice Minister David Lametti, who spoke about systemic racism in the criminal justice system in a recent episode of The Every Lawyer, related his own story following Dean Young’s opening remarks. This helped build rapport with the participants and set the tone for the panel discussion. He is the son of immigrants from Italy who came to Canada in their early 20s to afford their children a better future. While he admits that he had privileges that others did not have, he recognizes the importance of acknowledging the continued existence of barriers to admission into the “legal club” for certain groups.
Minister Lametti reiterated his commitment to rooting out systemic racism from our justice system. Like Dean Young, he believes that diversity on the bench is not just a numbers game. To him, ensuring a diversity of experience and culture within Canada’s judiciary will ultimately enhance public trust and lead to better decisions and a fairer justice system. This idea is well captured in Dean Young’s earlier assertion that “diversity is not a catch phrase, it’s a call to justice.”
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