Ethics: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Courts in Canada

Headshot of Bruce Preston

Presented by Bruce Preston, Canadian courts have struggled with delay for decades. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic added to an already difficult situation. Courts were required to take swift action, which they did. Despite this, they have faced criticism concerning the approach taken. I find that this criticism is not warranted and has more to do with the perceptions of the courts’ past performance than it has to do with the courts’ actions in response to the pandemic. Regardless, the systemic delay in Canadian courts has become an issue of ethics which overshadows any success the courts have had in the current pandemic.