TITLE:
Access to Justice: Recommended Reforms to the Ontario Justice System Using the Green Energy Act as an Example
AUTHORS:
Alan Whiteley, Anne Dumbrille, John Hirsch
KEYWORDS:
Green Energy Act, Wind Turbines, Natural Justice, Access to Justice
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.9 No.1,
January
11,
2021
ABSTRACT: Methods: A document was prepared and
sent by a lawyer, Alan Whiteley, to Ontario government officials that
identified the main concerns with the Green Energy Act and its impact on the
rights of citizens. The Act had been introduced in 2009 in efforts to make
Ontario a world leader in “green” energy production. With the passing of the
Green Energy Act, a number of statutes were also amended in order to achieve
this goal; they reduced impediments to the approval of industrial wind turbine
projects. The letter in its entirety is included in this paper. Mr. Whiteley
had been involved in a legal case initiated by a not-for-profit organization
that argued that the regulatory changes impacted the rights of citizens.
Documents such as those submitted through that court filings, such as Factums
and Affidavits provided by Ontario residents, and other documents are
referenced. Objectives: The goal of the letter was to affect
modernization of the justice system to improve access to justice, citizen
rights and animal protection. Results: The letter identified and
described changes to Acts and policies, gave examples of impacts, and offered
possible reform proposals that
would allow citizens fair access to justice and protect their rights. These proposals were
solutions through changes to the legal system. No reply to the letter was
received from any of the government officials, increasing concern regarding the
value of the voice of the public.