In an address to the Labour & Employment Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association on the issue of "Termination and Wrongful Dismissal in the 21st Century", Ontario's top judge, Chief Justice Winkler, stated:
"...there are no fair settlements when one party can't afford to litigate. People in Ontario are entitled to trials. The question is whether or not they can afford them... It is time to conduct the debate on this question, and to examine what it is about our process for determining wrongful dismissal claims that can be changed or fixed, in order to make justice more accessible".
In response to this address, Ontario's lawyers, through the Ontario Bar Association, struck a taskforce to seek out information from lawyers, service providers, workers and small employers about barriers to justice and possible solutions.
We are keen to hear your thoughts in the interests of ensuring that changes to wrongful dismissal litigation in Ontario serve the public interest. Below is a questionnaire for workers. We encourage you to download, complete and either email, fax or mail it to JUSTICE@work. We are also interested in any ideas you may have for improving the way we deal with legal disputes over worker termination. No idea is beyond consideration. All constructive thoughts are welcome.
Worker Questionnaire
OBA Wrongful Dismissal Task Force News Release
Ontario Bar Association