Month January 2024

Statistics Canada Publishes Infographic on UN SDG 16

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An infographic published by Statistics Canada on January 25, 2024 provides an overview of Canada’s standing on several indicators for UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

The infographic reveals, for example, that:

  • In 2022, less than 50% of Canadians had confidence in the justice system and courts. This figure is lowest among LGBTQ2+ people.
  • Almost 32% of non-Indigenous people had confidence in the Canadian media
  • Fraud accounted for over 36,800 violations in 2022 (which is roughly half of all cyber-related violations)

The infographic is available in English here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-637-x/2022001/article/00016-eng.htm.

The infographic is available in French here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-637-x/2022001/article/00016-fra.htm.

Access to Justice Week BC Offers Opportunity to Engage with A2J Movement in BC and Beyond

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Access to Justice Week BC will take place from February 5 to 9, 2024. The week’s event lineup includes panels centered on advancing the justice system through people-centered perspectives.

Events planned under this year’s theme, “What does People-Centered Justice Look Like?” include:

Monday, February 5
Author discussion of Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial
Speaker: Benjamin Perrin, UBC Allard Law Professor 

Tuesday, February 6
The Intersection between Restorative Justice and Person-Centered Justice
Speaker: Dr. Alana Abramson, KPU Criminology Instructor, Trainer & Consultant

Bridging the Gap:  Access to Justice by Van and Boat
Speakers:
Ab Currie, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Canadian Forum on Civil Justice
Anne Fletcher, Founder and Legal Advocate, Bella Coola Legal Advocacy Program
Moderator: Lindsay Frame, CBABC Access to Justice Committee / Litigation Associate, McCarthy Tetrault

Finding Justice: Challenges and Opportunities in BC’s Legal Aid Landscape
Speakers:
Aleem Bharmal, KC, Community Legal Assistance Society
Michael Bryant, CEO, Legal Aid BC
Wendy Jackson, Executive Director of Legal Access Policy Division, Ministry of Attorney General
Amanda Carling, CEO, BC First Nations Justice Council
Moderator: Lee Nevens, First Vice President, Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch

Wednesday, February 7
Legal Education and Professional Competencies: What the Access to Justice Lawyer Needs to Know
Speakers:
Hon. Associate Chief Justice Susan Wishart, BC Provincial Court
Robert Lapper, KC, UVic Law Professor
Chris Heslinga, Director, UVic Law Centre

Thursday, February 8
Designing a Person-Centred Family Justice System
Speakers: TBA

Friday, February 9
Gendered Aspects of Legal Aid
Speakers:
Lindsay Tedds, Associate Professor, Economics, University of Calgary
Gillian Petit, Senior Researcher, Economics, University of Calgary
Monique Pongracic-Speier, KC, Partner, Ethos Law

Youth Legal Needs and the Current Youth-Service Landscape in BC
Speakers:
Rachel Getz, first year law student at Thompson Rivers University School of Law
Avneet Sandhu, first year law student at the University of Victoria School of Law
Keegan Nicol, first year law student at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law
Tina Parbhakar, Strategic Coordinator, Access to Justice BC

Youth Leaders in Law Virtual Speed Networking with Alberta & BC Law Students

The full Access to Justice Week BC schedule is available online here: https://accesstojusticebc.ca/a2jweekbc/.

UK Law Society Examining How People Think About the Rule of Law and Access to Justice

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The Law Society of England and Wales is working with FrameWorks UK on a “Reframing Justice” project that examines how people understand and think about the rule of law and access to justice, and what impacts people’s perceptions of law and justice. The Year One project report provides an overview of: research carried out during the first year of the project (including interviews, workshops, and surveys); how experts in the field think about the rule of law and access to justice; how the public thinks about the rule of law and access to justice; and, initial recommendations.

Reframing Justice: Year One Summary by Tamsyn Hyatt is available here: https://frameworksuk.org/resources/rule-of-law-access-to-justice/.

Other research reports from this project include The Rule of Law and Access to Justice: Core Ideas from the Field of Law and Justice by Tamsyn Hyatt and Kate Stanley: https://frameworksuk.org/resources/rule-of-law-access-to-justice/ and How are Advocates Talking about the Rule of Law and Access to Justice?: A Field Frame Analysis by Tamsyn Hyatt and Patrick O’Shea: https://frameworksuk.org/resources/how-are-advocates-talking-about-the-rule-of-law-and-access-to-justice-a-field-frame-analysis/.

Access to Justice Week in Alberta is February 5-9, 2024

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Save the date for Alberta’s Access to Justice Week. From February 5-9, 2024, justice sector members and stakeholders will gather to discuss access-to-justice issues impacting Albertans. While planning is still underway, events could include report launches, keynote lectures, fundraisers, conferences or mini-conferences, townhalls and more.

The theme of Alberta’s Access to Justice Week 2024 is Promoting Pro Bono. Scheduled events currently include: “Making the Most of Pro Bono”, presented by the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch on February 6, “Collaborative Approaches to Access to Justice: Exploring the Benefits of Articling Students Volunteering in Pro Bono Clinics”, presented by Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC) on February 8, and “A Conversation with Mickey Amery, Alberta Minister of Justice”, presented by the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch on February 9.

For more information, visit: https://www.albertaaccesstojustice.com/.

To volunteer, discuss an event idea, or to get involved in other ways, visit: https://www.albertaaccesstojustice.com/about.html. Use #A2JWeekCan to follow the conversation on social media.

U.S. Conference to Explore Access to Justice and the Future of Justice Work

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The Access to Justice and the Future of Justice Work Conference will bring together scholars, policy makers, advocates, and frontline workers to explore the future of justice work and justice workers in the United States in view of new technologies, regulatory reform, public education, capacity building and training, and with the use of tools for research, advocacy, litigation, and program design and implementation. The conference will be a space for conversation and the exchange of ideas and knowledge on people’s justice experiences, pathways that advance just solutions to everyday legal problem experiences, new kinds of justice workers, and democratizing access to justice.

The Access to Justice and the Future of Justice Work Conference will take place at Arizona State University (Tempe campus) from February 28 – March 1, 2024. There is no fee to register. For more information, visit: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/62078/home/.