Supreme Court of British Columbia Education Seminar Spring 2021
This online program dealt with the impact emotions have on judging with sessions focusing on unconscious bias and first-hand accounts regarding triggering court experiences. It also considered the effect the pandemic has had on courtroom processes, wrongful convictions, and adverse childhood experiences.
Number of Participants: 102
Overview
This online program dealt with the impact emotions have on judging with sessions focusing on unconscious bias and first-hand accounts regarding triggering court experiences. It also considered the effect the pandemic has had on courtroom processes, wrongful convictions, and adverse childhood experiences.
Objective
The objectives of this seminar were to enhance participants’ understanding of unconscious bias and the emotional impact some cases can have on both members of the judiciary and court staff. A further objective was to enhance judges’ practical skills for navigating their courtrooms in an increasingly virtual landscape.
Summary
Led by experienced judges, legal academics, and experts in the criminal and family justice system, this program used a combination of lectures and interactive elements. Participants were given the opportunity to explore their own unconscious biases, as well as increase their exposure to the perspectives of those who have been involved in highly emotional cases from the other side of the bench. The program also considered the effect the pandemic has had on courtroom processes, including remote hearings and electronic documents. Sessions on wrongful convictions and brain science and adverse childhood experiences were also included in the seminar. Judges had the opportunity to discuss and pose questions to the faculty throughout.