Canadians Trust Judges More Than Their Politicians: York U. Professor Lead Contributor To New Book On The Role Of Appeal Courts And Judges In Canada

TORONTO, December 16, 1998 -- Canadians have more faith in their judges than they do in their elected officials, according to one of the findings by York University Professor Ian Greene, co-author of Final Appeal: Decision-making in Canadian Courts of Appeal, to be released Monday, Dec. 21, 1998.

Published by James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Final Appeal reports the results of personal interviews with 101 of Canada's 125 appellate court judges, including eight justices of the Supreme Court of Canada. The authors also collected data from a sample of six thousand cases moving from trial to appeal in the ten provinces and in the Federal Court. Greene's co-authors are political science professors Carl Baar of Brock University, Peter McCormick of the University of Lethbridge, George J. Szablowski of York University and Martin Thomas at York University.

Final Appeal points out that Canadians tend to have a great deal more confidence in their judges than in their elected legislators. One reason for this, according to some of the judges interviewed, is the failure of the Canadian Parliament and legislatures to come to grips with important social and human rights issues. Appeal courts, which include the Supreme Court of Canada, are responsible for settling some of the most contentious issues facing Canadians today. The legality of abortion and aboriginal land claims, the extension of human rights protection to the constitutionality of the separation of Quebec are all questions that have come before Canadian appeal courts.

The authors of this book conducted extensive original research to examine the role of appeal courts and appeal court judges in Canada today. The authors describe the key role these judges play in policy making, encouraging us to consider the function that the judiciary should have within a democratic society.

Greene, also co-author of A Question of Ethics: Canadians Speak Out, released earlier this year, is available for interviews by calling: (416) 736-5260, or at home: (416) 763-0766.

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For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087

Ken Turriff
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
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