MLI impact report, Q3, 2016

Press Release

At MLI, our goal is always to influence the development and implementation of sound federal public policy by ensuring decision makers are informed of the best policy options. Measuring our impact is crucial to measuring our success. In the third quarter of 2016, from July 1 to Sept. 30, MLI’s impact was felt particularly in the areas of criminal justice, Indigenous issues and health care reform, and two of our senior fellows received one of the most prestigious academic honours.

Justice

The Justice Report Card, produced by Munk Senior Fellow Benjamin Perrin and Dr. Richard Audas, was likely the most successful project launched by the institute in recent years. The report, published in September, analysed the justice systems of the provinces and territories on dozens of metrics from public perceptions of police to lengths of trials to crime rates. What it revealed was a system that in many cases was not living up to the expectations of Canadians.

The report was widely covered in the media, including: Postmedia papers, CBC News, the Winnipeg Free Press, Radio-Canada online, Nunatsiaq News, the Canadian Press, Calgary Herald, and CTV News (Manitoba). The authors also did dozens of interviews with radio stations, including CBC Radio One stations across the country, and talk radio stations in key markets. The report generated supportive editorials in the Victoria Times-Colonist and the Globe and Mail.

Even more importantly, the report received a significant reaction from decision makers in government. The Manitoba government promised a review of its justice system in a response to the MLI report. And Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley acknowledged the need for significant reform to her province’s justice system. The government of Prince Edward Island, the province ranked first in the report card, issued a press release discussing its ranking. The Mayor of Iqaluit said the report rang true with her experiences with victim support in Nunavut, while many territorial officials responded to their jurisdictions’ poor rankings. The report also generated a reaction from Newfoundland Justice Minister Andrew Parsons, who proposed to convene representatives of the various branches of the province’s legal system to discuss reforms.

Report author Benjamin Perrin was invited to present his report to Osgoode Hall Law School and has presented his analysis of the Supreme Court to the Ontario Bar Association in the last quarter. The report’s authors have also presented their findings to Senator Bob Runciman’s hearings on justice system inefficiency.

Finally, Scott Newark’s companion report on the inefficiencies of the justice system at the national level was reviewed by the Canadian Association of Police Governance (Police Boards) who sent it to all of their members, meaning every police board and police chief in Canada has received a copy along with the association’s endorsement.

Finally, officials at Statcan contacted Newark to discuss his paper’s findings and how justice statistics reporting can be improved to help guide reform efforts.

Read More: http://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/mli-impact-report-q3-2016/

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