This interdisciplinary edited collection brings together scholars, activists, and policy makers to build consensus around what a connected society means for Canada. The collection offers insight on the state of citizenship in a digital context in Canada and proposes a research and policy agenda for the way forward. Part I examines the current landscape of digital civic participation and highlights some of the missing voices required to ensure an inclusive digital society. Part II explores the relationship between citizens and their political and democratic institutions, from government service delivery to academic and citizen engagement in policy making. Part III addresses key legal frameworks that need to be discussed and redesigned to allow for the building and strengthening of an inclusive society and democratic institutions. This is a foundational resource for policy makers, students, and researchers interested in understanding citizenship in a digital context in Canada. Published in English.

Part I of this work focuses on the ways in which digitization projects can affect fundamental justice principles. It examines claims that technology will improve justice system efficiency and offers a model for evaluating e-justice systems that incorporates a broader range of justice system values. The emphasis is on the complicated relationship between privacy and transparency in making court records and decisions available online. Part II examines the implementation of technologies in the justice system and the challenges it comes with, focusing on four different technologies: online court information systems, e-filing, videoconferencing, and tablets for presentation and review of evidence by jurors. The authors share a measuring enthusiasm for technological advances in the courts, emphasizing that these technologies should be implemented with care to ensure the best possible outcome for access to a fair and effective justice system. Finally, Part III adopts the standpoints of sociology, political theory and legal theory to explore the complex web of values, norms, and practices that support our systems of justice, the reasons for their well-established resistance to change, and the avenues and prospects of eAccess. The chapters in this section provide a unique and valuable framework for thinking with the required sophistication about legal change.

Que cela signifie-t-il d'etre un citoyen(ne) au Canada dans un contexte numerique ? Quelles sont les consequences de cet environnement numerique pour les citoyen(ne)s et pour les decideur(e)s publics ? Cet ouvrage collectif interdisciplinaire rassemble des chercheur(e)s, des activistes et des decideurs publics pour degager un consensus sur ce que signifie une societe numerique pour le Canada. Ce collectif presente un apercu de l'etat de la citoyennete dans un contexte numerique au Canada et propose un programme de recherche et de politiques publiques pour aller de l'avant. La partie I examine le paysage actuel de la participation civique numerique et met en lumiere certaines voix manquantes dont nous avons besoin pour construite une societe numerique inclusive. La partie II explore la relation entre les citoyen(ne)s et leurs institutions politiques et democratiques, de la prestation des services gouvernementaux a l'engagement academique et citoyen dans les politiques publiques. La partie III analyse les principaux cadres juridiques qui doivent etre discutes et redefinis afin de permettre l'etablissement et le renforcement d'une societe inclusive et d'institutions democratiques. Il s'agit d'une ressource fondamentale pour les decideur(e)s publics, les etudiant(e)s et les chercheurs interesses a comprendre la citoyennete dans un contexte numerique au Canada. Publie en anglais.