Overview of the Faith,Law, and Morality Project of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Forum Presentations

On Monday, November 27, 1995, twenty-five judges, faith leaders, and community representatives converged on Lake Tahoe for the start of a bold experiment. Each of the participants had been formally invited to participate in a forum to discuss the important moral and ethical issues facing society today. Set in a retreat environment at Incline Village, Nevada, this forum would open a dialogue between judges, members of the faith community, and others about common issues and concerns. The participants' mission was to work in groups to draft a joint resolution – a call to action for judges, faith leaders and the community. Their work would be inspired by short reflections on faith, law and morality offered by fellow participants. The discussion format would alternate between small groups of six to seven each and the group as a whole. Most important would be the opportunity to listen; the diversity of individual viewpoints would enrich the participants' thinking on the fundamental yet complex interrelation between law and morality. How did it work? Exceedingly well.     

Public administration in the cross-hairs of evidence-based policy and authentic engagement: School closures in Ontario

Education policy affects communities across Canada. Changes in demographics, enrolment patterns, and pressures on education budgets have put school closures on the political agenda in many provinces. Implementing these policies is increasingly contested and conflict-ridden. Public administrators are at the cross-hairs of implementing evidence-based policies, based on authentic stakeholder input and engagement. This article examines two cases of school closure policy implementation in Ontario to illustrate the tension between these two important dimensions of public administration and challenges that must be overcome in this and other policy areas where evidence and engagement are increasingly important.