VICTORIA — Canada’s top court is expanding its public outreach to build trust at a time of increasing misinformation as more people get their news from social media.
Chief Justice Richard Wagner and other justices of the Supreme Court of Canada launched a cross-country tour in Victoria, B.C., on Monday to mark the court’s 150th anniversary.
The high court needs to do more now than it did 25 years ago to inform the public about what the court is doing and how its decisions will affect the lives of Canadians, Wagner said.
The Supreme Court of Canada was established in 1875 and is the final court of appeal that has made groundbreaking decisions on topics such as abortion, marriage and medically assisted suicide.
“It’s very difficult for people to have trust if they don’t understand something or any institution,” Wagner said.
That is one reason the Supreme Court of Canada is increasing its efforts to inform the public what it does as well as how and why, he said.
“I think it will increase, improve, or maintain the trust of the people in our institution,” Wagner said, adding there is more and more “misinformation and disinformation” circulating in the public due to social media.
The court’s public proceedings let Canadians see how justice is done, ensures fairness and holds the court to the highest standards of independence and impartiality, he said.
“We publish plain-language summaries of our decisions, share information about our work on social media, and we support journalists in reporting on the court,” Wagner said.
“We do all this to help Canadians better understand the law and the principles that guard our decisions. This is also why we are here in Victoria this week. We want to bring the Supreme Court closer to Canadians.”
Three of the nine judges who sit on the high court attended the Victoria events.
“We often joke that it’s like being in an arranged marriage with nine spouses,” said Justice Andromache Karakatsanis.
“We’re together every day for every case. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t agree, and we have good, sometimes spirited discussions.”
The collegiality that they have is important to collective decision making, she said.
“The dynamics are as you would expect when you’ve got nine independent, smart people who feel strongly about a case. We have a good debate and I enjoy working with my colleagues,” Karakatsanis said.
Adam Hofri, an associate professor at the Peter A. Allard school of law at the University of British Columbia, called the Supreme Court of Canada one of the world’s leading apex courts.
“Especially impressive is the body of jurisprudence, interpreting, enlarging and applying the Constitution Act of 1867 and the Charter of Rights of 1982,” Hofri said in a phone interview.
It has occasionally interpreted the provisions of the Constitution Act and the Charter in ways that could be called “activist,” such as allocating power or additional power to the court, he said.
“Some people don’t like this and believe courts should only have those powers expressly allocated to them by the text of basic constitutional documents such as the Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights,” Hofri said.
However, the Supreme Court has been a major player in building up the protection and rights that Canadians enjoy. It also decides many cases on private, commercial and trust laws, he said.
During the justices' two days in Victoria, the took part in a public forum and will meet with students, professors, the legal community and First Nations.
The road show will be in Moncton, N.B., on March 10 and 11. Later in the year, they will visit Yellowknife, Sherbrooke, Que. and Thunder Bay, Ont.
The court is holding several activities throughout the year that encourage public involvement. In April, it will host a bilingual symposium to examine how the court’s role can evolve.
“Trust is essential in a democracy. It must be earned and maintained through openness and transparency,” Wagner said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2025.
Marcy Nicholson, The Canadian Press