Proposed Title: House of Solomon
Some thoughts on naming and defining the specifics of the program...
I've been considering names for my
proposed program of a religious/alternative court which has also brought up the issue of narrowing down and defining who is serviced by this court. The initial idea for the program came out of the removal of authority of Christian/ Jewish/ Muslim courts in Ontario which also lead to the idea of this becoming a "House of Solomon" who represents fair judgment, justice and wisdom in all three religions. This of course would define this court as belonging, somewhat exclusively, to these faiths.
This would make the program more cohesive given the similar, though unique, judicial systems. However, through the very specific connotations, it does exclude a significant part of the population. I still need a bit more research but I believe that the notions of "justice" held by Asians, Africans, Natives, etc. is quite different and perhaps not reconcilable with the type of court I am proposing. However, another group which could be serviced by an alternative rather than religious court is the non-religious population which do share similar notions of justice given the "official"/Canadian courts are based on them.
What makes this concept appealing in the first place is that "Solomon" becomes a common ground allowing these three groups to interact, support, and contribute to one another, the program and the market.
Friday Night on York
The Program's Story
It's familiar. It belongs to the people.
The normal set of rules don't apply here. Well, at least they are more easily bent here. They can flex with the winds of change and accommodate traditions much older than they.
Rigidity is not a venerated commodity here.
It's less formal,
less intimidating,
less officiated.
I can speak for myself, not through some hired or elected voice, but
my voice.
I can be me and you can be you and the "concerned parties" can remain faceless elsewhere.
The government can have its side of Sussex.
This place belongs to people
not an institution.
Update to Slideshows
The Photo Journal and
Site Context Photos are now updated.
Comprehending the Space of the Street
The effect of the 18m wide parking island in the centre of York St. is quite powerful in the alteration of scale of the buildings on either side. Among the taller historical buildings in the market they do not feel intimidating but maintain a sense of grandeur. However, the vista from the York steps is lacking given the rows of parked cars aren't exactly the red carpet they imply.
Built-Void Relationships
built
voids
my site
Proposed Program: Alternative Court
While it seems historically appropriate to place a court within the Market and the appeal of such a court being more inviting to participation by the general public, I do not think that the Official Provincial Court is suited to or capable of providing this, at least not as a stand alone proposal.
Despite the freedom for anyone to participate/witness the proceedings within an Ontario Courthouse, few feel comfortable entering into the judicial realm. The intimidation which prevents the public from feeling they are free to participate is not simply a factor of the architectural expression. Often the severity of the architecture is most reflective of the social barrier.
A politically charged issue at the moment is the role religious/alternative courts play in the administration of law in Ontario. Last fall Premier Dalton McGuinty proclaimed "There will be no Sharia law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians," in response to Islamic groups trying to form a religious-court still permitted by Ontario law to act as arbitrators in matters of family law, the results of which are legally binding.
Bill 27 is proposing to remove this right from all religious groups:
"Under the proposed legislation, no family law arbitration can be conducted under any other law or principle. Resolutions based on any other laws or principles would have no legal effect and would not constitute family arbitration. They would amount to advice only. Ontarians of course, as the Premier said, would continue to have the right to seek advice from any source, including religious advice in matters of the family. However, under the proposed legislation, such advice would not be enforceable by the courts."
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Hon. Michael Bryant (Attorney General), OLA, Nov 15, 2005The Charter of Rights and Freedoms prevents the outright banning of religious forums, it is questionable whether the above restrictions is also an infringement and is likely to be put before the Supreme Court should the law pass. Regardless of the outcome of the Legislative Assembly's decision, religious and alternative courts fill the crucial gap that exists between many citizens and the official legal system.
I am proposing a
"house of judgment" (the name used by the Jewish courts,
beit din) or
"people's court" as a venue for alternative dispute resolution as well as religious and inter-faith ceremonies. I hope this program will compliment and reinforce the potential for public participation in the courthouses being proposed by the other students in the studio.
Site Selection: York/George Street Parkade
view site context slideshow
Good, Bad, Ugly
Preliminary site for
PhotoJournal: the good, the bad, the ugly is now up. Commentary is on its way.
360 view of the Market
You will need the QuickTime
movie player to view these pictures.
source OttawaKiosk
Test website is up
Finally worked through some bugs for the layout because of the usual IE oddities. I'm looking for feedback and bug reports.
Enjoy.
VCS website (temporary)
Step-in / Step-out
Yesterday morning we met to go over some of the images we took for our photo journal of the Market "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". I was focussing on the conditions of how the entrance meets the street. The prevalent condition in the area is such that the building facades meet directly the edge of the sidewalk. Shop owners and residents alike are left with the question of whether to step their entrance out onto the sidewalk/public space or step in back off the sidewalk into the private space.
Above is an interesting example of two entrances side-by-side in the same building, one stepping in, the other out.
