In the early 1970's, the distinct role of the court administrator began to emerge as provincial officials with special responsibilities for court administration were appointed in one province after another. While the names attached to this position varied widely, the essential functions of the office did not. Over the years the office has evolved and developed, and continues to do so today.
The recognition that court administrators in different provinces have common interests can be traced back to 1974. At that time, Thor Guttormsson, Manitoba's new administrator of court services, and his deputy David Boyd, were attempting to learn about the experiences of their counterparts in other provinces. By August of 1974, Guttormsson and Boyd had compiled a list of contacts in each jurisdiction and general letters were exchanged. During the same year, R.A. MacDonald (Nova Scotia’s Director of Courts and Registrars), Blenus Wright (Assistant Deputy Attorney General in Ontario) and David Boyd, happened to meet in Toronto and informally discussed and developed the idea of an association of court administrators. With the concept of an association established and a list of court administrators already compiled, the wheels were set in motion.
Working with the encouragement of key court administrators outside Manitoba and the support of the Manitoba government, Guttormsson and Boyd organized and convened the first meeting of a Canadian Association of Court Administrators in Winnipeg in late September 1975. The three-day meeting was limited to one delegate per province (the province's chief court administrator) with outside speakers and participants largely absent. Discussion centered on a province by province review of court administrative issues and developments. The group established an ongoing association and plans were made for future meetings.
Also emerging from this conference was a stated desire on the part of its participants to avoid any formal structure. Indeed, this informal approach served the association well during its early development because it allowed the groups' members to get to know one another and to share their experiences. Once this had occurred, it would be possible for the association to broaden its focus to include outside participants and developments.
The second meeting of the association was organized and hosted by the province of Quebec and was held in Montreal in February 1976. At the Winnipeg session, court reporting had been identified as an issue and thus became the theme of the Montreal conference. As in 1975, outside speakers were not invited to participate, but chief court reporters from various provinces did attend and made presentations. The meeting also featured a display of Quebec's new electronic court recording system, as well as an update of court administrative developments. February of 1977 saw the court administrators meeting in Toronto. This conference was hosted by Ontario but was sponsored by IBM. Appropriately, the theme of this session was Technology. Here IBM gave a major presentation on some of the automation work which it had done in U.S. courts. Also, of some historical importance to the association was a recommendation made by Pierre Dorion, Quebec's directeur général des greffes. Up to that time the group had been known as the "Canadian Association of Court Administrators."
Dorion pointed out to the group that the acronym had unpleasant connotations in the French vernacular. In recognition of this important concern, the name "Association of Canadian Court Administrators" (ACCA) was suggested as an alternative. The group has been known by the latter ever since.
The province of British Columbia organized and hosted the 1978 ACCA conference. It was held in Vancouver in February, and to some extent, represented a departure from previous meetings. For the first time there was extensive use of outside speakers who addressed a wide spectrum of issues. With no single theme, the agenda included such varied topics as: Caseflow Management, Accommodations and Facilities (policy issues), Court Reporting - Progress Reports, Paperwork Management, Information Systems Development, and a review and update of Provincial Developments.
The next ACCA conference did not take place until April of 1980. It was hosted by the province of Alberta and was held in Banff. Secretariat work for the meeting was performed by David H. Mead of British Columbia Systems Corporation. The Banff conference was forward looking and focused on broad issues facing court administration. Additionally, the 1980 meeting saw federal and territorial officials join the association.
November of 1981 had ACCA members meeting in Ottawa. The conference was sponsored by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada and the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, with secretariat work again performed by David H. Mead. The agenda featured a variety of topics dealing with Educational Needs and Opportunities, Systems and Statistics, Judicial Independence and Reports from the provinces. As with the two previous conferences, there was increasingly broad participation with outside speakers, academics and members of the bench in attendance.
After a two-year hiatus, the Association met at Quebec City in Quebec in October of 1984. At the request of Quebec, the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics agreed to provide translation and secretariat services for the conference. The two-day meeting examined a number of key issues including Technology and Court Administration, Court Workload Measures, Court Delay and a round table discussion of recent developments.
The next gathering of ACCA members took place in Halifax in September of 1985. The conference was hosted by the province of Nova Scotia with secretariat work provided by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. The Halifax meeting was the largest to date, indicating growing interest and participation in the association's work.
The past 15 years have seen conferences held in Toronto (1987), Ottawa (1988), Yellowknife (1989), Quebec City (1990), Regina (1991), Corner Brook (1992), Banff (1993), London (1994), Vancouver (1995), Halifax (1996), Ottawa (1997), Winnipeg (1998), Saskatoon (1999), St. John’s (2000), and Toronto (2001).
In the early 1990's, ACCA began its growth as a membership based organization. The members have grown in number and will continue to do so as we become more focused on educating court administrators.
In September, l998, at the ACCA Board of Directors’ meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a decision was made to initiate Strategic Planning. The goal was to create a strategic framework and focus for the organization for the next five to ten years. The Board of Directors established the Performance after the Millennium (PAM) Committee, and some preparatory work for strategic planning was conducted in l999. ACCA officially initiated strategic planning in April 2000. The need for a comprehensive planning process for ACCA was identified through a number of separate initiatives, which discussed future trends and issues. A consultant was engaged who offered a methodology and facilitated the process. Special attention was given to embrace all the current functions of ACCA. The process was comprehensive, and included consultation with ACCA members and the Board of Directors.
After considering member and Board input, the Board of Directors approved the draft strategic plan presented to them by the PAM committee at the November 5, 2000, Board of Directors' meeting.
The ACCA Strategic Plan is the result of that process. It is, however, not a final product. The plan must grow and develop over time to properly assist ACCA in reaching its Vision. This is particularly so with respect to the Strategic Goals and Objectives. ACCA's Strategic Plan is the culmination of discussion and ideas of the collective direction for the organization. This discussion is ongoing and will involve other stakeholders.
A considerable amount of work has already taken place on the strategic goal of promoting excellence in court administration by facilitating the professional development of ACCA members. Annual conferences are just one of the many ways this goal will be achieved. The Education Committee is developing a terms of reference for the Court Management Certification Program, and a minimum of one professional development seminars will be offered annually. The Education Committee presented the "Self-Represented Litigant Symposium" in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in April 2001. This seminar was well attended by court administrators, judges and legal professionals from all across Canada. The ‘Core Competencies’ Symposium is the second educational session being offered to court administrators since the strategic plan was implemented.
As illustrated by this brief historical overview, the Association of Canadian Court Administrators has grown and developed over the years. Its meetings have served an important function by allowing court managers to share their experience and knowledge. Furthermore, the conferences have provided a forum for discussion of common issues and problems, and for exploring new or emerging ones. Quite clearly, the association has made a very positive and significant contribution to court administration in Canada.
Initial history prepared by Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, in October 1985. Additional information provided by:
B. Hookenson
Past President, ACCA