POLI 343 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Precedent, Justiciability, Legal Aid
30 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Composition: 8 poise (ordinary) judges and 1 chief justice. Engage in judicial review to make sure that laws adhere and conform to the constitution and charter. All scc decisions are binding: decisions made about provincial statutes are binding across all provinces that have said statutes in existence. Popular in its legal and political roles: scc is much better regarded than many other political and legal institutions by society. Canadians in support of the way in which scc has adjudicated cases under the charter: quebec citizens -> the highest support, albertans -> the lowest support. Litigants can be individuals, organizations, governments, or government officials. Litigation: settle disputes; regulate their behaviour in a way that requires the courts to be a third party. Barriers to litigation: cost: long and drawn out process, significant money required in terms of attorney fees. Legal aid only available to people that fall below an extremely low financial bar: efficiency: the lack of, litigation is time-consuming.
