Chief Justice Chartier's Civil Procedure Legacy: Attuned to Access to Justice

Abstract

This article investigates Chief Justice Chartier’s legacy on civil procedure. Though not the area of law he is most known for, analyzing nineteen notable cases to which he contributed reveals engagement with the principles of civil procedure such as predictability, efficiency, and fairness—and a particular sensitivity to access to justice, largely through seeking to ensure the resolution of civil actions on their merits—in this area of law where chief justices often lead by example.