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For Immediate Release
February 7, 2002

OTTAWA — A security perimeter for North America, cameras in the courts and the constitutional right to legal aid are on the agenda for the Canadian Bar Association's Mid-Winter Meeting of Council in Moncton, New Brunswick, February 16-17, 2002.

Former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna; PC/DR Coalition House Leader, MP Peter MacKay; and Patrick Delvecchio from the United States Embassy will bring their unique perspectives to the debate on whether Canada needs a security perimeter with the U.S.

"There are tremendous political, economic and commercial implications of a security perimeter — everything from who's allowed to enter our country to our independence from the world's most powerful nation," says CBA President Eric Rice, Q.C. of Vancouver.

Also on the agenda is a resolution on cameras in the courts that calls for the exclusion of cameras in court proceedings involving family law issues. The CBA's National Family Law Section argues that the presence of media in court proceedings involving family law issues is inappropriate, given the very private nature of the issues raised. This includes the potential harm to children.

On the other side of the coin, the CBA's National Media and Communications Law Section suggests that permitting some judicious coverage of family law cases would significantly improve public understanding of how the law works in practice and enhance public confidence in our system of justice.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, the CBA will release its study Making the Case: The Right to Publicly-Funded Legal Representation in Canada. The 200-page report will be released by Past President Daphne Dumont, Q.C. of Charlottetown, who has been leading the CBA's legal aid initiatives.

"Last spring, I invited a number of experts in the fields of constitutional law and access to justice to consider this issue. We are delighted with the papers in the report being presented today," said Daphne Dumont. "But this is just the first step. In the coming months, the CBA's National Legal Aid Liaison Committee will review the report and draft a series of resolutions to be debated by our Council next August."

The 2002 CBA Mid-Winter Meeting of Council is open to accredited media. All meetings will be held at the Delta Beauséjour, 750 Main Street, Moncton.

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, notaries, law teachers and law students from across Canada are members.

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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, 500 - 865 Carling Ave. , Ottawa, ON, K1S 5S8; (613) 237-2925 ext. 146; hannahb@cba.org. From Feb. 15 to 17, (506) 877-1898.