re. Courts must have final say on arbitration

Thomas Walkom continues to prove his worth as your most insightful columnist. His recommendation that Family Law be removed from the Arbitration Act is a good one. Even a technically unbiased system can still contain any number of factors that discriminate against women. Our only hope of addressing them is to keep the system in the public purview.

Sharia, like our secular laws, is the work of men. And like all of our works, it requires maintenance. Sadly, a body of law that once granted women more rights than European law did has has been left behind as European and American legal systems worked to address the inequalities. Ontario's family law currently fits Islam's ideals more than Sharia does.

Some of the tribunal's supporters say this is chance to reform and modernize Sharia. I believe this is putting the cart before the horse. Update Sharia first before exposing Canadian women to it! Even then, without having the arbitrators trained to same level as our judges, full legal representation for all parties, and the process under public scrutiny, private Family Law tribunals are still a bad idea.

Gary Dale
West Hill, ON