Month February 2021

CBA Report Examines Justice Issues Resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic

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A new report by the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) examines various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of legal services in Canada. The report is the result of consultations and research carried out by the specially formed CBA Task Force on Justice Issues Arising from COVID-19.

The “No Turning Back” report includes a discussion of the ways that Canada and other countries are meeting the justice challenges presented by the pandemic through modified processes and other justice system changes. The report also presents a discussion of ways to mitigate risks that might be associated with the adoption of new measures aimed at delivering justice in the midst of the pandemic.

No Turning Back: CBA Task Force Report on Justice Issues Arising from COVID-19 is available online here: https://www.cba.org/CBAMediaLibrary/cba_na/PDFs/Publications%20And%20Resources/2021/CBATaskForce.pdf.

New CBABC Report Outlines Ways to Improve BC’s Justice System

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The Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch (CBABC) has published Agenda for Justice 2021, a plain language report that outlines recommendations for more timely, effective, accessible and impartial justice for all British Columbians. The report includes more than 40 recommendations and is organized into the following sections:

(1) Access to Justice for Families
(2) Meaningful Change for Indigenous Peoples
(3) Modernizing BC’s Justice and Legal Systems
(4) Ensuring Fairness for Everyone

The CBABC’s Agenda for Justice 2021 roadmap for action report is available online here: https://www.cbabc.org/Our-Work/Agenda-for-Justice.

New American Academy of Arts & Sciences Report Examines Data Collection in the Civil Justice Sector

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A new report published by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences explores data collection and civil justice. The Measuring Civil Justice for All – What Do We Know? What Do We Need to Know? How Can We Know It? report is an output from the Data Collection and Legal Services for Low-income Americans sub-project. It is one of several publications by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences aimed at making justice accessible. The discussion on acquiring much-needed information about access to civil justice is organized into four topics:

(1) Liberating Civil Justice Data
(2) Data Use Agreements
(3) Alternative Strategies for Accessing Data
(4) Moving toward a Civil Justice Data Commons.

The final Measuring Civil Justice for All – What Do We Know? What Do We Need to Know? How Can We Know It? report is available online here: https://www.amacad.org/publication/measuring-civil-justice-all.

For other publications from the Making Justice Accessible Initiative, visit: https://www.amacad.org/topic/democracy-justice.

Rise Women’s Legal Centre Publishes New Report on Family Violence in B.C.

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A new report by B.C. based Rise Women’s Legal Centre examines the province’s family law system and its responsiveness to family violence matters. Research was carried out over 3 years and includes both consultations with experts, and focus group interviews with women across more than 20 communities in B.C. who had lived experience of violence and the legal system.

The report makes several recommendations for improvements that will contribute to dispelling myths and stereotypes. The report also discusses the need for a better understanding of the seriousness of both physical and non-physical violence.

Why Can’t Everyone Just Get Along? How BC’s Family Law System Puts Survivors in Danger by Haley Hrymak and Kim Hawkins, and published by Rise Women’s Legal Centre is available online here: https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/02/05/b-c-s-family-law-system-fails-abused-women-puts-survivors-in-danger-report/.