THE CANADIAN JUSTICE REVIEW BOARD (CJRB) is a national advisory organization which provides an analysis of proposed and existing legislation and its impact. It serves as an information collection agency which receives and organizes public comments about the state of the justice system. This information is used to identify questionable legal practices and other systemic shortcomings. The CJRB consists of the Directors of the Canadian Justice Review Council, an independent, not-for-profit corporation, plus associate members.

Associate membership with the Canadian Justice Review Board is open to every person who agrees with our mission. Our membership lists are kept strictly private and are not shared with any outside organizations. Associate members receive a reply to any written concerns sent to the CJRB for investigation. Justice should not be a commodity priced out of reach, nor should average Canadians be relegated to receiving only as much justice as they can afford, or be put bankrupt by the process of protecting their legal rights.

The role of the court and the principle of law; per Chief Justice Latchford, Mr. Justice Riddell, Mr. Justice Masten, Mr. Justice Orde and Mr. Justice Fisher-

"The Supreme Court is not a self-created body with original powers; it is not a benevolent autocrat with full powers to act as it should think fit; the court is an institution organized by the people through their representatives for the purpose of giving to those who apply to it their rights according to law, the law not being made by the Court but laid down for it by authority; the court has no right to give a decision in accord with its own views of equity and good conscience, as distinct from the rules laid down for it. The Court has no right to take power unto itself which is not conferred by the people." Scott v. Scott-Ontario Court of Appeal 1DLR53, 64OLR422

The Right Honourable Brian Dickson P.C. (from a speech to the Canadian Bar Association)

"The meaning of the Rule of Law is very simple and well known to us all: the law must stand supreme as the source and fabric of all social organization. It is the law which provides the framework for relations among individuals as well as between the individual and the state: the law delineates the scope of each person's liberties and responsibilities and defines the powers and duties of government. All obligations imposed on the individual and all restrictions upon his or her liberty must be justified by law. This is the most fundamental guarantee of equality and freedom we have achieved as a society. The Rule of Law protects individuals from arbitrary and capricious treatment at the hands of government and fosters confidence in each of us that the power of government to interfere with our lives is finite and accountable. It allows us to live together in freedom and harmony and provides the common ground for social progress and prosperity."

Rule of Law

The Rule of Law, in its most basic form, is the principle that no one is above the law. The rule follows logically from the idea that truth, and therefore law, is based upon fundamental principles which can be discovered, but which cannot be created through an act of will.

The most important application of the rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedural steps that are referred to as due process. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader, judicial activism, or by mob rule. Thus, the rule of law is hostile both to dictatorship and to anarchy.

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DISCLAIMER

No statements or expressions of opinion by the CJRB or its members are intended as, or are to be construed as, legal advice. The views expressed in various articles and books found on this site are those of the authors, and may be views with which some CJRB directors and members disagree.