Tradition is an important part of the justice system. However, we must not let tradition stop us from exploring new and innovative ways to provide better services to the public.

In this issue, you’ll read about programs like Judicial Dispute Resolution and the Dispute Resolution Officer pilot project, which offer Albertans alternatives to the courtroom by resolving family law disputes effectively with fewer emotional and financial costs.

I believe we must continue to develop innovative programs like these that improve Albertans’ access to justice. That’s why I support the concept of a unified trial court, which has the potential to provide better access and create a more understandable justice system.

This May, I had the opportunity to speak on this subject at the Trial Courts of the Future conference in Saskatoon. There, members of the judiciary, legal professionals and academics discussed the evolving role of trial courts and how they can best serve the needs of Canadians.

The concept of a unified trial court is not new — it has been discussed in legal circles for more than 30 years. The Law Reform Commission of Canada also recommended the concept in 1989, and in my opinion, it is time we came up with a definitive answer.

In the name of better access, a unified trial court is an option worthy of at least intense study, if not action. Alberta is well positioned to take that action, possibly in the form of a pilot project. As I see it, the legal distinction between superior and inferior courts has essentially been eliminated and the time has come to look at this concept and its potential to further improve our justice system.

A unified trial court is only one example of how we can streamline our justice system. Be sure to check out future issues of Just-in for more on this and other initiatives to improve access to justice in Alberta.

Since becoming Solicitor General I’ve said that my top priority is protecting the safety of Albertans. We are truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful and safe province.

But, like most good things, we can’t take it for granted. Crime prevention experts tell us that no matter where we are, we must always be aware of our surroundings and keep an eye out for suspicious activity. We have to know what’s going on in our communities, who’s there, and who shouldn’t be there.

It is with this idea in mind that the high-risk offender web pages were added to the Solicitor General web site. The site provides pictures and information about offenders who present a risk of significant harm to our communities.

The web pages aren’t the be-all and end-all for public safety in Alberta. They are, however, another tool in the toolbox — a way for people to make sure they are informed.

The real value of the web site is for the person who notices someone hanging around a schoolyard or playground. They can check to find out if that suspicious person is on the web site. If it is someone who shouldn’t be near a playground or schoolyard, police can be notified.

It’s all about having more eyes and ears in the community helping police. Albertans are known for caring about their communities and it’s this spirit of responsibility that the web pages tap into. Check out the site at:
www.solgen.gov.ab.ca/hro/default.aspx

We all still have to use common sense and good judgment to ensure that we, and especially our children, the elderly, and other vulnerable Albertans, take appropriate personal safety precautions.

I hope you enjoy a happy, healthy, and safe summer.

As most of you prepare to take a well-earned summer break, I’d like to update you on the status of Alberta Justice’s Organizational Renewal Project.

With the assistance and participation of staff from across the province, we have now completed the planning phase of the project. During this phase, we reviewed a range of Alberta Justice programs, services and business processes and produced a list of organizational improvement opportunities. We then prioritized these opportunities based on the greatest organizational return on investment and developed implementation plans.

Examples of improvement initiatives identified by the divisions include: increasing roles for support staff and legal assistants, improved file tracking and disclosure processes, enhanced learning and internal research capability, improved case flow management and scheduling, witness management improvements and improved court clerk administrative processes.

On a departmental level, we have highlighted the need to improve our policy capacity. In order to ensure that this department has the capacity to be a leader in policy development, we are recruiting a Policy Coordinator who will lead a small team reporting to the Executive Management Committee. We will provide all the details on this important initiative in September.

Early this fall, we will begin the implementation phase of the renewal project. Over the next two years, the department will operate a Transformation Office headed by a full-time program manager. The program manager will work with project managers from all divisions to ensure this project is successfully completed on schedule.

As we implement the Organizational Renewal Project, I would again like to thank all staff who participated throughout the planning phase. Your further input and continued assistance will be even more critical as we move through the implementation phase.

Hope everyone has a great summer.

Arnold Galet,
Assistant Deputy Minister,
Correctional Services

In this space there is usually a message from Jim Nichols, the Deputy Solicitor General. But for this edition of Just-in, Jim has given me the opportunity to tell you about the MLA review of Alberta’s corrections programs, recently announced by the Alberta Solicitor General.

Some people have wondered why this review is taking place at this time. Well, there are several reasons.

First, there are three core activities for the Alberta Solicitor General — policing, victim services and corrections. Reviews of policing and victims programs have already been undertaken, so it is timely to now review corrections programs.

Second, things have changed in the justice system over the past few years. For example, the courts have increased their use of community sentencing and this has resulted in a decline in minimum-security offenders in our correctional facilities and an increase in offenders under community corrections supervision.

Third, the division remains committed to ensuring health and safety needs are appropriately addressed. The review will consider whether the use of protective clothing, for example, should be expanded. The safety of staff and offenders is, and will always be, a high priority for me.

Employees of this division exhibit a high level of professionalism and I am confident this will be noticed by the committee members as they visit our facilities and offices.

As well, I am confident the review will help us maintain our reputation as a national leader in the delivery of cost-effective correctional programs that provide opportunities for offenders to become productive citizens.

I look forward to the review’s findings and I thank you for your cooperation and input.

For more details on the MLA review see page five.