A new Ontario government program aims to provide free telephone counselling to those serving jury duty starting in January. According to the CBC, any juror in a criminal or civil trial or an inquest can have access to the undetermined counselling services.
This replaces the current system where jurors have to get a judge’s permission to receive counselling. Those pursuing counselling without approval incur the costs.
CMHA Ontario welcomes the Attorney General’s effort to support the mental health of jurors. “Today’s announcement addresses a serious mental health issue that many people only associate with first responders or soldiers engaged in combat operations,” said Camille Quenneville, CEO, CMHA Ontario.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) can impact all people in the courts from crown attorneys to judges, corrections officers and stenographers.
“The negative affect of a difficult trial can be felt by anyone participating in a legal proceeding and we are hopeful that over time we can ensure that all parties are protected from the harmful impact of OSIs and PTSD,” said Quenneville.
“For this reason, we encourage making mental health supports available to all individuals involved in our justice system. Supports could be made available to corrections officials, Justices of the Peace, judges, lawyers, victim services employees and stenographers to name a few.”
Rates of depression and suicide are high for lawyers and the added stress of the job leaves one more vulnerable to developing OSI. The economic costs of PTSD/OSI are tremendous and communities suffer as those struggling with an OSI often find themselves isolated, without an outlet or clear pathway to care.
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi told the CBC the cost of the program – between $30,000 and $50,000 annually – will be absorbed by his ministry’s budget.
CMHA Ontario is pleased to continue to work with the provincial government to address this issue. CMHA Ontario can offer guidance or expertise through the Mental Health Works program, imparting knowledge of our work with Legal Aid Ontario lawyers or through the development of a targeted response.