Toward a Grand Assembly of Law and Justice
Law and justice are present in all spheres of today’s society. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between our current understanding of the law and of justice and the change citizens feel in what they expect from them in today’s society.
Convinced that collective deliberation on the matter is required, the Institut québécois de réforme du droit et de la justice (IQRDJ) is organizing the Grand Assembly of Law and Justice.
This consultation aims to gather people from the civic, community, economic, professional, governmental and academic fields. The goal is to define priorities for reform concerning law and justice which are likely to inspire the IQRDJ’s initiatives.
The Institute’s public consultation is conducted in four phases taking place online between October 2020 and March 2021. In the end, the Grand Assembly of Law and Justice public consultation will consolidate the IQRDJ’s research and consultation program when it comes to reforming the law and justice. It will lay the foundation of a permanent advisory board which members will monitor the IQRDJ’s activities.
The conception, organization and realization of this collective deliberation is consistent with the IQRDJ’s mission, which is to periodically consult citizens and design reform projects regarding the law and justice with the scope of making both more accessible.
A three-step approach
The Citizen Forum on the future of law and justice took place on October 30th, 2020. Its aim was to investigate citizens’ experiences, needs, expectations and preferences on the issues of law and justice. Nearly 70 participants had the opportunity to identify thematic priorities to be discussed in subsequent steps of the public consultation.
A report was published with the results of the Citizen Forum.
The IQRDJ’s Thematic Agoras, which are taking place in February 2021, aim to collect comments, suggestions and recommendations from leaders from civil society and members of the legal community. This consultation will lead the participants to establish thematic priorities which may be discussed during the Grand Assembly of Law and Justice in March 2021.
Five agoras are scheduled: legal culture, citizen participation, statute design, legislative innovation and judicial transition.
Each agora will gather four leaders from civil society and four members of the legal community known for their expertise and experience relevant to the theme discussed.
A report will be made public to announce the results of the Agoras.
Phase 3: March 19th, 2021 – Grand Assembly of Law and Justice
On March 19th, 2021, the Grand Assembly of Law and Justice will take place.
This final phase of the IQRDJ’s public consultation will bring together around 150 people from all spheres of society. The objective is to validate the reform proposals made during the Citizen’s Forum and Thematic Agoras. These proposals will inspire the Institute’ work over the coming years.
Those who register for the Grand Assembly will first be invited to acquaint themselves with the proposals made by the IQRDJ as part of the Reform Hub from March 4th to 18th. This virtual space for deliberation will thus give them the opportunity to comment on the proposals before their adoption, by indicating their support for a priority, by discussing its merits or by reflecting on the modalities of its implementation.
During the Grand Assembly on March 19th, the participants will be called upon to vote on the reform proposals, which you can find here. To this end, they will be divided into three distinct colleges: the college of citizens, the college of civil society leaders and the college of members of the legal community. The college of citizens will be composed of participants of the Citizen Forum, as well as other people who have applied. The IQRDJ will target people who will join the college of civil society leaders and the college of members of the legal community.
The proposals adopted on the occasion of the Grand Assembly of the IQRDJ will be the subject of a summary report which will be made public.
Comments made during the Reform Hub will serve to inform the Institute’s implementation of the adopted proposals.
About the IQRDJ
Created in 2018, the Quebec Institute for Law and Justice Reform is an independent research organization. It works for the continuous adaptation of the legislation and the judicial system to contemporary reality and for greater accessibility for citizens to law and justice.
The IQRDJ is funded in a way that ensures the autonomy and independence of its research. It mobilizes skills in all law schools in Quebec, or in other areas of knowledge, and places great emphasis on the expertise of practitioners. The interdisciplinary and comparative nature of its work opens the door to a broadening of the aims of legal research.
Its work documents the major orientations likely to form the basis of future legislation. Collaborating with organizations fulfilling the same mission, in Canada and abroad, the Institute is particularly interested in the harmonization of standards from a perspective informed by Quebec’s legal tradition.
The Institute attaches central importance to public consultation, whenever its work requires a better understanding of social expectations in matters of law and justice. Its work is carried out in accordance with the rules of ethics in research. The Institute maintains permanent relations with all segments of the legal world and civil society, in order to ensure the social relevance of its work.
About the INM
The INM is an independent, non-partisan organization whose ambition is to increase the participation of citizens in democratic life. The action of the INM has the effect of encouraging citizen participation and contributing to the development of civic skills, the strengthening of social ties and the enhancement of democratic institutions. The INM team is driven by the belief that citizen participation strengthens democracy.
About Éducaloi
Éducaloi’s mission is to inform the citizens of Quebec about the law, their rights and their obligations. To this end, Éducaloi: designs and produces reliable and accessible legal information and education tools; actively acts to make Quebec society aware of the legal dimension of everyday situations and to develop in citizens the skills necessary for the exercise of their rights; exercises leadership on the need to communicate the law clearly and effectively.
Contact
Nicolas Vazeille,
Project manager
Phone : 514 934-5999 / 1 877 934-5999 poste 222
Email : nicolas.vazeille@inm.qc.ca
Organizer
Logistical partners
Financial partners
