Many persons have complained about being bullied in the courtroom by lawyers and judges and that rude comments were sometimes made by lawyers and judges. Many of those who have experienced this feel that video cameras in the courtroom and access to the video recordings by the attending parties would have made everyone more accountable and made the parties who were before the court feel more comfortable. In the United States of America cameras are a routine component of the lower level courts but not in Canada.
Many have complained that they cannot afford a lawyer and that they feel uncomfortable representing themselves in court. Many others report poor services being provided by legal aid lawyers. Those facing this situation feel that they should have the right to have anyone of their choosing who is better able to speak on their behalf and to represent them in court in lieu of a licensed lawyer.
Many children and parents have complained that they felt interviews by child protection workers and/or by children’s lawyers were biased and unprofessional. Some children have reported that their child protection worker or lawyer did not report accurately their disclosures.
Currently in Canada, judges are appointed through a political process and allowed to remain as judges until they retire. Getting a judge removed is very difficult even if a judge is a bad judge. In the United States of America judges are elected by voters in a similar matter as are school board trustees in Canada.