Law Times - Newsmakers

2016 top news, newsmakers and cases 5 APPOINTED ONTARIO'S ATTORNEY GENERAL in June 2016, Yasir Naqvi was quick to take action on critical issues of the day. Naqvi, who sat on a Special Advisory Table on Refugees as part of the Liberal government's support for refugee resettlement eff orts in Ottawa, is Ontario's fi rst South Asian and racialized attorney general and only the third South Asian attorney general in Canada. In a news release, the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto said he "heralds a new era in the leadership in our province and the legal profession," calling his appointment "a historic mo- ment that all South Asians and visible minorities in Ontario can be proud of." Leaving behind his post in community safety and correctional services in Ottawa, Naqvi's new goal is to modernize the province's justice system, specifi cally looking at the digitization of the courts. Faced with wait times at the Ontario Superior Court that a judge referred to in a decision as "unacceptably long," Naqvi is consider- ing hiring more staff at the court's assessment offi ce and possibly shi ing offi cers from other parts of the province as a short-term solution. "I don't want to be presumptive because I do want to see what those options are, but it could also mean gaining assis- tance from assessment offi cers in other regions where they may not have such waiting times," he told Law Times in June. By the end of August, Naqvi expanded a pilot project digitizing e-fi ling in Small Claims Court — but only for that court. Law Times noted that being new to his role, big changes around digitizing the courts might come in small increments. In a statement to Law Times, a spokeswoman for the attor- ney general said they were taking a "gradual and responsible approach" but noted they were still looking for "ways to intro- duce more technological solutions into the justice system." At the Opening of the Courts ceremony at the beginning of September, Naqvi promised continued eff orts to digitize the courts. On Sept. 29, Naqvi introduced bill 28, the all families are equal act. e bill would amend the Children's Law Reform Act, the Vital Statistics Act and other acts that deal with parentage and related registrations. Its aim is to ensure that all children are treated equally, regardless of their family makeup or how the child was conceived. As of November, the bill was ordered for third reading, with an expectation it will pass and become law by Jan. 1. Naqvi also helped roll out the Juror Support Program in November, where anyone who served jury duty in a criminal or civil trial or at an inquest can get access to free, third- party counselling services. Previously, a juror would need a trial judge's permission to receive counselling. e program, estimated to cost anywhere between $30,000 and $55,000 annually, will be part of the Ministry of the Attorney Gen- eral's budget. top newsmakers Ontario's first South Asian attorney general Yasir Naqvi tackles digitization of the courts BY MALLORY HENDRY Yasir Naqvi What do your clients need? The means to move on. Guaranteed ™ . Baxter Structures customizes personal injury settlements into tax-free annuities that can help your clients be secure for life. Need more information? Contact us at 1 800 387 1686 or baxterstructures.com Kyla A. Baxter, CSSC PRESIDENT, BAXTER STRUCTURES Untitled-5 1 2016-10-25 3:42 PM

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