DEAL WITH THE ISSUE AT ALL" (LA FOREST, "THE BALANCING OF INTERESTS UNDER
.(THE CHARTER" 2 N.J.C.L. 133, 143
לשם הגשמת משימה זו על בית המשפט ועל עורכי הדין הטוענים לפניו לפתח כישורים נוספים, המאפשרים להם להתמודד עם "העובדות החברתיות". עמד על כך השופט למר (LAMER), נשיא בית המשפט העליון של קנדה, בציינו כי המהפכה החוקתית בקנדה בתחום זכויות האדם חייבה התמודדות השופט ועורך הדין עם תשתית עובדתית מסוג חדש:
THESE DEVELOPMENTS REQUIRE LAWYERS AND JUDGES TO HAVE A WHOLE NEW RANGE" OF SKILLS. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTELLIGENTLY AT QUESTIONS OF
SOCIAL POLICY, TO IDENTIFY THE SORTS OF EXPERTISE THAT THE PARTICULAR
PROBLEM REQUIRES, TO DEAL WITH MATERIAL FROM A WIDE RANGE OF DISCIPLINES
AND TO INTERACT EFFECTIVELY WITH PERSONS WHO POSSESS MANY SORTS OF
,EXPERTISE. IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL TECHNICAL SKILLS OF THE LAWYER
WE NEED A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE
LAW; AN UNDERSTANDING WHICH IS BROAD ENOUGH TO RELATE TO A WIDE VARIETY
OF OTHER DISCIPLINES" (A. LAMER, "CANADA'S LEGAL REVOLUTION: JUDGING IN
.(THE AGE OF THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS" 28 ISR. L. REV. (1994) 579, 581
--- סוף עמוד 440 ---
בהמשך דבריו מציין השופט למר, כי בתי המשפט בקנדה פיתחו טכניקות שיפוטיות לטיפול בעובדות החברתיות:
COURTS NOW ARE ROUTINELY RECEIVING A GOOD DEAL OF WHAT CAN BE..."
REFERRED TO AS SOCIAL FACT EVIDENCE. THIS SORT OF EVIDENCE IS OFTEN
DIRECTED TO THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF LEGISLATION ON SOCIETY
AND WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF CONFRONTING THE
SOCIAL PROBLEM. THIS KIND OF EVIDENCE IS LIKE THAT WHICH IS RELEVANT IN
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE WHEN PROPOSED LEGISLATION
IS BEING CONSIDERED. PARTICULARLY WHERE THE QUESTION IS WHETHER CERTAIN
LAWS ARE JUSTIFIED IN A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, DEBATE IN THE COURTS
SOMETIMES RESEMBLES PROCEEDINGS BEFORE A HOUSE COMMITTEE IN THAT THE
BENEFITS AND BURDENS OF THE LEGISLATION AND ITS ALTERNATIVES HAVE TO BE
WEIGHED IN LIGHT OF THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEEDS OF
.(שם, בעמ' (582 SOCIETY AND THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED" (582