Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs helped hold the hearings on Bill 15, Court Security Act, on December 5, 2005, in Yellowknife; on December 6th in Enterprise and Kakisa; and on December 7th in Fort Providence and Behchoko. Clause-by-clause review of the bill took place in Yellowknife on January 31st.
Some committee members and members of the public expressed general concerns that the act might be used as a justification for relocating trials from small communities to large centres, Mr. Chair, and to justify building a new courthouse in Yellowknife at the expense of investing in justice programs for small communities. Members also
had concerns about how the act would be applied in small communities. For example, many people, especially elders, habitually carry knives or other tools that could be considered weapons. The committee hopes that court security personnel will use their discretion appropriately in these cases by either allowing people, especially elders, to keep their tools on them if they do not pose a threat, or by respectfully asking them to leave their tools outside the court area.
The committee would not want to see people treated with unnecessary harshness or charged under the act where they may just have been unaware of or have misunderstood the rules, rather than having any intention to cause harm.
Following the clause-by-clause review, Mr. Chair, a motion was carried to report Bill 15 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole. That concludes the committee's general comments on Bill 15. Individual committee members may have questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.