B.C. chief judge to hold Twitter ‘town hall’
Members of the public are being invited to participate in a Twitter “town hall” being organized by provincial court Chief Judge Thomas Crabtree.
Anyone who has a question for Crabtree can contact him through the hashtag #AskChiefJudge on April 14, B.C. Law Day.
Topics being encouraged include access to justice, the future of the justice system and specialty courts, including First Nations court.
“The Provincial Court wants to engage members of the public in their justice system,” Crabtree said in a statement.
“Our recent consultation on online access to criminal court information demonstrated the valuable contribution the public can make to policy decisions. The Twitter Town Hall is another way the Court can engage with the public. I’m looking forward to the conversation on April 14.”
Crabtree was referring to input sought by the court regarding online access to criminal case information.
The court says it received more than 60 submissions from individuals and groups and is expected to release the results on the consultation April 6.
Regarding the Twitter event, it’s believed to be the first time a chief judge in Canada has held such an event. The idea came from U.S. President Barack Obama recently holding a similar type of an event, according to Karen Leung, a legal officer with the Provincial Court.
Questions about specific court cases will not be addressed. The Twitter event is being held from 1 to 3 p.m. April 14, but questions can be posed in advance of that day.
Most court cases in B.C. are held in provincial court, which has about 150 judges working in 80 locations around the province.