Ontario names First Nation jury roll panel

A panel that will oversee implementation of recommendations aimed at tackling deep-rooted issues facing FirstNations in Ontario's jury system will have a majority of aboriginal members, the province announced Thursday.

The 11-member panel, co-chaired by Alvin Fiddler, deputy grandchief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Irwin Glasberg, an assistantdeputy attorney general, includes aboriginal leaders, current and former judges, lawyers and policy makers.

The committee was the first of 17 recommendations made by formerSupreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci in February.

"A tragically disproportionate number of our First Nation andMetis members are being jailed while entire communities have beenexcluded from participation in the justice system," Fiddler said."I am hopeful that, with the Iacobucci report and the formationof the implementation committee, we can finally create fundamentalchange that will address this crisis."

'Systemic discrimination'

The provincial government initially asked Iacobucci to look intothe lack of First Nations representation on juries but uncovered aproblem went well beyond that issue.

Aboriginals experience "systemic discrimination" when it comes to criminal justice or child services and the courts -- especially inthe north, he said.

"Access to justice, the administration of justice, theavailability and quality of legal services, the treatment of FirstNations peoples in the justice system all are wanting in northern Ontario," Iacobucci said.

However, the new committee will only focus on the jury issuewhile the province is promising to establish an advisory group likely this fall to deal with the broader justice issues.

Attorney General John Gerretsen said he was confident the newcommittee had the "right mix of professional expertise and livedexperience" to help find practical ways to enhance therepresentation of First Nations on juries.

Among the members Megan Logan, a college student who will be itsyouth representative and Marc Bode, a regional senior justice innorthwestern Ontario.

Other members include a former band chief, former judge, and anassistant deputy minister.

The implementation committee is meeting over two days as it seeksto thrash out a course of action.

The years-long under-representation of First Nations came to light at coroner's inquests in northern Ontario into the 2007 deathsof two aboriginals.

More recently, Ontario's top court ordered a new trial for aconvicted killer because it found the province had violated hisrights by failing to ensure aboriginals were properly represented on jury rolls.

Supreme Court of Canada justice FrankIacobucci's February 2013 report: