Law Times

Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation )BSECPVOEȕ1VCMJTIFE'FCSVBSZFBDIZFBS 0OTVCTDSJQUJPOȕ- 0OFUJNFQVSDIBTFȕ- .VMUJQMFDPQZEJTDPVOUTBWBJMBCMF 1SJDFTTVCKFDUUPDIBOHFXJUIPVUOPUJDF]UPBQQMJDBCMFUBYFTBOETIJQQJOHIBOEMJOH CANADIAN LAW LIST 2014 :063*/45"/5$0//&$5*0/50$"/"%"Ȏ4-&("-/&5803, ȕ BOVQUPEBUFBMQIBCFUJDBMMJTUJOH ȕ DPOUBDUJOGPSNBUJPO ȕ MFHBMBOEHPWFSONFOUDPOUBDUJOGPSNBUJPO .03&5)"/"1)0/�, CLL-Dir_LT_Feb10_14.indd 1 14-01-31 12:11 PM Portable courtroom on tap for Barrie 'Cost-effective solution' aimed at addressing space shortage temporary courtroom under construction at the Barrie, Ont., courthouse is "bound to be an eyesore," but when it comes to court facilities, es- thetics come second to need, according to some members of the bar in that city. e Ministry of the Attorney General says it's building a courtroom and judicial chambers made of "steel components and precast panels" to alleviate the severe lack of space that has plagued the city's Superior Court for several years. "We've encountered issues where cases would be scheduled for trial in Barrie and there would be times when the lawyers are ready, the judge is ready, but there wasn't a room or a suitable room for the trial to happen," says Ted Chadderton, president of the Simcoe County Law Association. Out of about 13 courtrooms in Barrie, only four can accommodate juries, ac- cording to Chadderton. In the past, he has had to drive to nearby cities for a trial despite having scheduled it in Barrie. "It's hard to explain to a Barrie client that we have a trial date and a judge but we're all going to have to drive to Bracebridge an hour away to do it," says Chadderton. Built in the late 1970s, when less than 40,000 people lived in Barrie, the burgeon- ing population has simply outstripped the capacity of the courthouse, says personal injury lawyer Roger Oatley of Oatley Vig- mond Personal Injury Lawyers LLP. " ere is no question if you ask any lawyer who does litigation in this area that we are under-resourced both with respect to courtrooms and with respect to judges," he says. " e court has attempted to make do by squeezing courtrooms within the existing structure out of areas of the courthouse that were intended for other purposes. But it really is maxed out." e new structure will include a crim- inal jury courtroom and judges' cham- bers, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General. " is is a cost-eff ective solution that can be delivered in a timely manner to ad- dress immediate pressures and fi t on the existing site," said ministry spokesman Brendan Crawley. Although there's a great need for the temporary courtroom, it will be unsightly and can't be a permanent solution, accord- ing to Oatley. "Whatever is done to relieve the situa- tion will be welcomed, although my expe- rience — and I suspect no one will disagree Meilleur honoured to be first francophone AG ntario has appointed its fi rst francophone attorney general fol- lowing last week's cab- inet shuffl e. Former minister of communi- ty safety and correctional services Madeleine Meilleur has replaced John Gerretsen, who announced last year he wouldn't run in the next provincial election. Ger- retsen, who had been in the post since October 2011, is now chair of cabinet and a minister without portfolio. e shuffl e followed munici- pal aff airs minister Linda Jeff rey's resignation to run for mayor of Brampton, Ont. In a written statement, Meil- leur said: "It is a great honour for me to be appointed the fi rst francophone attorney general for Ontario. I was very happy to serve the people of this province as minister of community safety and correctional services and I am very happy to continue serv- ing in the justice sector as attor- ney general. "My predecessor . . . has always been a strong advocate for access to justice. I know that I have very big shoes to fi ll. I thank the pre- mier for the confi dence that she has placed in me. "I can assure you that Pre- mier [Kathleen] Wynne and I are committed to creating and maintaining an innovative, sus- tainable, and responsive justice system that inspires public confi - dence and upholds the rule of law." Meilleur is a registered nurse and lawyer. She trained at the Montfort school of nursing in Ottawa and later studied law at the University of Ottawa. e Liberal MPP for Ottawa- Vanier focused on labour and employment law during her legal career and was involved in mu- nicipal politics before her elec- tion to the Ontario legislature in 2003. She'll continue in her role as minister responsible for franco- phone aff airs with her new posi- tion potentially providing greater LGBTQ RIGHTS Ontario lawyers weigh in on Trinity Western P4 WHAT MAKES LAWYERS HAPPY? Surprise, it's not money or prestige P7 FOCUS ON ADR P9 The shortage of court space in Barrie has sometimes meant doing trials elsewhere despite having a scheduled matter, says Ted Chadderton. The province is now addressing the issue with a new temporary courtroom. Photo: Laura Pedersen See New, page 5 See Barrie, page 5 As a lawyer, new Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur focused on labour and employment law. PM #40762529 LGBTQ RIGHTS Ontario lawyers weigh in on Trinity Western & $#&!&jmmm$cYa[bbWh$Yec ntitled-4 1 12-03-20 10:44 AM $4.00 • Vol. 25, No. 12 March 31, 2014 Follow LAW TIMES on www.twitter.com/lawtimes l Aw TIMes l Aw TIMes BY YAMRI TADDESE Law Times BY CHARLOTTE SANTRY Law Times A O

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