Law Times - Newsmakers

4 December 2015 JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD hasn't done anything big yet but she's noteworthy as the first Liberal justice minister in almost a decade and the changes many people expect her to bring. In early November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Wilson-Raybould, the rookie MP for Vancouver Granville, as the federal jus- tice minister and attorney general. As the Liberals basked in their honeymoon period, lawyers were full of praise for the appointment of Canada's first aboriginal justice minister. Wilson-Raybould is an "inspirational choice," said Toronto defence lawyer Bill Trudell on the day Trudeau appointed her. A former prosecutor in Vancouver called to the bar in 2000, Wilson-Raybould has a big job ahead of her. In his mandate letter to her last month, Trudeau outlined several priorities. They include leading the pro- cess to respond to the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on physician-assisted suicide; developing a mandate for the planned inquiry into missing and mur- dered aboriginal women; working on the legalization and regulation of marijuana; and assisting with efforts to repeal cer- tain elements of Bill C-51. Notably for lawyers, the priorities also include reviewing the government's litigation strategy and assessing the effectiveness of sentencing reforms over the past decade that should include an increase in the use of restorative justice processes. It's a different tone from the previ- ous Conservative government's focus on toughening crime laws through legislation such as the Truth in Sentencing Act and Bill C-10. The promise to review the government's litigation strategy follows years of criticism of the Conservatives' repeated battles over the constitutionality of some pieces of legislation and signifi- cant spending on litigating against aboriginals in court. Already, Wilson-Raybould moved last month to abandon the government's appeal of a ruling over its bid to ban the niqab at citizenship cer- emonies. "The government respects the decision of both courts and will not seek further appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada," said a statement from Wilson-Raybould and Immigration, Refu- gees, and Citizenship Minister John McCallum. "Canada's diversity is among its greatest strengths, and today we have ensured that successful citizenship candidates continue to be included in the Canadian family." According to the Toronto Star, Wilson-Raybould even called the woman at the heart of the niqab case, Zunera Ishaq, to tell her about the government's decision. It's a change in tone some lawyers will welcome given the disagreement of many members of the bar with the approach of former prime minister Stephen Harper. But Wilson-Raybould comes to the job with high expectations from many quarters, particularly when it comes to the government's promises to build a better relationship with aboriginals. "She has a lot of work to do, not only in repairing relationships but of cleaning the mess from the Harper regime in terms of passing legislation that was not in the interest of indigenous peoples," Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, told Law Times last month. top newsmakers Big expectations for new justice minister BY GLENN KAUTH Wilson-Raybould makes early mark with call to woman in niqab case Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould called Zunera Ishaq to tell her about the government's decision to drop its appeal over the niqab ban. Yonge Richmond Centre 151 Yonge Street | Suite 1404 Toronto, ON M5C 2W7 416.865.0504 littler.com Your people and employment law challenges cross borders, times zones and cultures. And so do our solutions. We bring global thinking and experience to your workforce issues— wherever business takes you. We're global because you are. ntitled-3 1 2015-10-26 11:48 AM

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