We have instituted many other initiatives to provide more judicial assistance to litigants, and to speed up the litigation process. Case management is another one. At the request of a counsel or party, a judge can be appointed to manage the progress of a file. It is crucial that we never forget that the judiciary must be independent of government. It must also be seen to operate at arm s length from government.
Public opinion comes and goes.
It is the job of elected officials to take public opinion into account and reflect the wishes of its constituents in the laws they enact. Judges, on the other hand, take public policy and public interest into account and interpret the law. History has proven that decisions based upon principle are in the long run sounder than decisions based upon today s popular opinion. When we grew up we became independent of our parents. We stopped basing our decisions on what would please them, or on what would get us a bigger allowance or the keys to the car.