Alberta
On December 1st, Alberta’s government announced a new Family Justice Strategy aimed at making it easier for Albertans to address family court matters. The news release indicates that, “the new Family Justice Strategy will help align services in both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, so that Albertans can access the same types of services no matter which court they attend”.
The provincial government’s $5 million investment in the Family Justice Strategy will expand pre-court services in Edmonton and Calgary, including alternative dispute resolution, family court counsellors, and parenting interventions. In addition, the government is introducing a Family Resolution Hub online tool to provide information for Albertans dealing with family law matters.
Information about Alberta’s investment in increasing access to family justice services is available in English here: https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=893927C5CE690-FFA2-A2F0-ACF90115EB8E62CE
Ontario
Ontario’s government is proposing new legislation which, if passed, would seek to make it easier for victims of crime to sue an offender for emotional distress, protect children and youth from cannabis, enhance community safety, and make court and government operations more efficient.
The Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2023 is among several legislative changes being proposed by the provincial government. Changes to the Courts of Justice Act and other statutes are aimed at improving court efficiencies and ensuring court, jury and administrative procedures and operations are clearer and more accessible.
The press release on the Ontario government’s Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2023 is available in English here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1003902/enhancing-access-to-justice-act-2023.
Information about the proposed Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2023 is available in French here: https://news.ontario.ca/fr/backgrounder/1003902/loi-de-2023-visant-a-ameliorer-lacces-a-la-justice.
ajrn.org 