Hon. Jane Cordy: Would you take a question?

I really want to thank you so much for doing this. I was on the Social Affairs Committee, and I remember that we heard that your bill was coming before us, it was Jury Duty Appreciation Week and I thought, “Oh, well, that’s nice.” But then you were our first witness, and you spoke about your experiences, what happened afterwards and how you had no preparation going in. Then the day after the trial, you go back to your regular life — as regular as it can be after going through the trauma.

I think you spoke about the underappreciation of jurors. I have known people who have served on juries. You see them again, and it’s great that they’re finished, but they can’t talk about what they went through. It’s not even right to ask them what they have gone through.

I guess my question would be this: During Jury Duty Appreciation Week — which I think will do really good things — what types of activities do you envision taking place so that Canadians understand what jurors have gone through? We often think that a trial lasts a week or two, but we heard one witness tell us that it was months and months, and then after all this period of time, walk back into his office the next day and move along just as if life had been going on as “normal” for the previous six or nine months he was doing it.

I’m wondering if you can give us some ideas of what you envision. Hopefully, people are very creative in what they do if this bill passes. Can you tell us some of the things you think might happen that would help jurors or potential jurors understand what’s going to happen, but also to help the general public have a better appreciation of the role that members of a jury play in our society?

Senator Moncion: Thank you for the question, senator, and thank you for all the good questions that you and all your colleagues on the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee were asking when we, the witnesses, attended.

A lot of things are already in the process, and they were used last year in Jury Duty Appreciation Week. This information is being built as different provinces come into the program. Since we started working on the changes to the legislation for the secrecy rules, a Canadian Juries Commission has been created, and their work is to bring awareness to the work that jurors have to do.

They are working with provinces that want to come onboard. So there is information on the web that is available. There are all kinds of courses people can take or sessions they can participate in to prepare them for jury duty. There are different things that are done in different provinces.

This work has been building over the last couple of years, so more and more material is available. There is going to be more information provided for employers whenever a staff member is asked to be on jury duty. Understanding the obligations as an employer, the work that the juror is going to have to do and how time consuming that is — all this information is provided. But it will also be made more accessible.

The appreciation week just brings awareness. Then people will maybe start looking at that information and see what happens when they are called to become jurors. There is going to be more information available, and all kinds of tools are out there now to help jury duty.

Thank you.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Downe, seconded by the Honourable Senator Quinn, for the third reading of Bill S-258, An Act to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act (reporting on unpaid income tax).

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

Hon. Paula Simons: I do. Senator Cotter, would you accept a question?