The law needs more colour

BY BRITTNEY CHANNER

This week, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Ottawa, Ontario and visit the country’s capital. It was there I was able to learn more about where Canada’s laws are debated, reviewed and agreed upon. During my trip, I visited the Senate, the House of Commons and the Supreme Court of Canada. I had made a vow when I was younger that somehow, I would find a way to visit these important attractions that are a part of Canadian history.

Throughout my years of schooling, I had thought that I had learned everything I needed to learn about these places, surprisingly, there was so much more that I learned while touring these important historical landmarks. Each tour that I went on lasted approximately 30 minutes and I was able to get a first-hand experience of what the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and Canadian Senators do when they come together in implementing laws and policies that assist in governing the people of this nation. It was remarkable to be a part of an environment where important decisions are made every day on behalf of individuals like you and I.

Additionally, my favourite part of the trip was having the opportunity to visit the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest Court in Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. Every year, decisions that are made by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts are appealed at the supreme level.

Being the legal beagle that I am, it was intimidating and fulfilling to be in the country’s highest court and be surrounded by everything that involved the law. As inspiring as it was to be around this type of atmosphere and essentially the focal point of my future career, there was one reoccurring theme that all these important historical landmarks had in common; Not an ounce of colour.

As passionate as I am when it comes to the Canadian justice system and being surrounded by Canadian government buildings, it was a bit disappointing not to see anyone whose faces resembled mine. Each room I entered, I was constantly reminded of how much work needs to be done in order for the system to truly represent a multicultural society in which we are proud of. Each picture that hung on the walls of either the Senate, The House of Commons or The Supreme Court all reflected only small portions of Canada’s population.

For example, while touring the Supreme Court, a picture on the wall showed nine judges which are appointed by the Governor General in Council. All nine judges represent different provinces of Canada however, none of them come from any minority groups or represent any of the Northern territories. It is important to note that a judge’s role is to make a decision between parties in legal disputes based on the facts of the case and the law that applies to the facts involved. However, in my view I do believe having a well-rounded display of judges that accurately reflect the faces of the people in this country can essentially provide a balance that this country desperately lacks.

It goes without saying that there is a diverse group of people who are or were a part of parliament that actively participated in the creation of our laws and legislation. In addition, it is also important to note that there are people of colour who actively had important roles in high positions of Canada’s governmental structure such as Michelle Jean, Adrienne Clarkson, Bahman Kalbasi and Ahmen Hussen to name a few. As a country that prides itself on being a cultural mosaic of ethnic backgrounds, it is important that we not only reflect this title solely on a small scale but amongst important facets of society that have the power to produce change.