Privatization of Ontario's court system expands thanks to Ford
Not satisfied with shifting healthcare services to the private sector, the Ford klan is doing the same with our courts
In case you missed it, last month the Ford Conservatives announced another step in the privatization of Ontario’s court system, handing a juicy $166 million contract to Thomson Reuters “to deliver the new digital justice platform.”
The new platform apparently will allow Ontarians to file documents quickly and easily online, digitally access court case information online, pay fees online, connect virtually to hearings, manage court appearances online, and receive decisions electronically according to the July 18 press release.
Not surprisingly, Thomson Reuters chief product officer David Wong was quoted in glowing terms: “Together, Ontario and Thomson Reuters will transform Ontario’s courts into one of the most modern and accessible justice systems in North America. As a Canadian company, we are proud that our technology will help improve access to justice in our home province.”
This new online service is designed to provide expedited and easier access to the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.
Ford puppet Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario, was quoted saying, “Ontario is one step closer to a digital justice system that helps people resolve legal matters easier and faster. Today marks a significant new chapter in our government’s plan to build a more modern, accessible and effective justice system now and into the future.”
The private foray into our court system is part of the Conservative’s Courts Digital Transformation initiative which was first announced in November 2021 “and is a major part of the province’s Justice Accelerated Strategy, a multi-year plan to harness new and existing technology to break down barriers in the justice system and speed up access to services – remotely, in-person, and online.”
The deal also continued the Ford government’s increasing privatization of supposedly public services, with taxpayers money flowing to his corporate pals.
The news release also states that as part of the Justice Accelerated Strategy which was first announced in March 2021, the Conservative government committed $65 million of taxpayers money over five years starting in February 2022 “to ensure more courtrooms across the province are equipped with technology to enable people to access hearings through video or audio.”
The statement adds, as of June 2023, “court users can electronically submit over 700 different types of court documents for family, civil, divisional, and small claims court matters.”
One has to wonder why Ford handed off this work to a private corporation rather than having it done by the very capable public servants. Aside from the financial concerns, we also should be worried about the risk of very sensitive and personal information being accessible and exposed. As we see time and again with privatization, taxpayers suffer financially and otherwise, since the corporate motive is solely profit. Further, there is no mention of how these changes will further disenfranchise Ontarians who cannot access digital services for any number of reasons from accessibility issues to technological limitations.
To see the original news release, please see this link.