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The Ministry of the Attorney General announced on July 9, 2019 that it has commenced a review of family and civil legislation, regulations and processes. “The review will explore ways to simplify family and civil court processes, reduce costs and delays, and encourage the earlier resolution of disputes. As part of the review, the Ministry of the Attorney General is looking for ways to:
- direct family law matters out of a combative court process, where possible;
- reduce the cost of the process to families and taxpayers; and
- streamline the processes to shorten the time to resolution.”
The News Release states that Lindsey Park, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General, will be meeting with members of the legal community and the public across Ontario. Written submissions are due before July 31, 2019.
No details of any proposed changes or further information is provided in the News Release. The time frame permitted to provide submissions or suggestions is a mere 22 days.
Given the objectives of the review, it would have likely been more efficacious to have provided details on the specific reforms being contemplated, if any, and provided the public and the legal community greater time in which to provide their input. Perhaps the Government will reconsider and provide stakeholders with the more normal 60 or 90 days in which to respond in order to make it a more meaningful consultative process.
