Month October 2026

LCO Releases Final Report on AI in the Criminal Justice System

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The Law Commission of Ontario has released its report, AI in Criminal Justice: Final Report and Recommendations, a first-of-its-kind Canadian analysis of the uses, potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence across the criminal justice system.

The project is the first in Canada to analyze AI systems and issues across the full lifecycle of criminal justice. Grounded in extensive research and consultation, including input from more than 1,400 people, the report puts forward 29 recommendations for law, regulatory and policy reform.

The recommendations call for a comprehensive provincial framework for responsible criminal AI, including legislation, mandatory public reporting, risk and impact assessments, a public AI registry, independent oversight, rules governing AI evidence, and measures to strengthen access to justice and institutional capacity. Almost all of the recommendations draw on practices, precedents or strategies already in place or under development in Canada and other jurisdictions.

Together, the recommendations offer a practical framework intended to support responsible innovation while protecting fundamental rights, strengthening accountability and maintaining public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Manitoba Access to Justice Week 2026: “What Works, What’s Next”

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Manitoba’s Access to Justice Week 2026 will take place from October 26 to 30. This year’s programming shares the national theme, “What Works, What’s Next.”

Hosted by the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, the Law Society of Manitoba, and the Manitoba Bar Association, the week brings together legal professionals, advocates, service providers, and community members to explore current access-to-justice issues. All events are free and open to the public.

The program includes a virtual panel on the legal issues facing trans people in Canada, with particular attention to Manitoba; a bilingual discussion of ongoing efforts to improve access to justice in French; and an in-person Sweat Lodge Ceremony in Sagkeeng First Nation, accompanied by an optional pre-learning session.

Together, the events offer opportunities to learn about current legal and community initiatives, consider barriers to justice, and explore what meaningful and inclusive access to justice can look like in practice.

For more information and to register, visit the Manitoba Access to Justice Hub’s Access to Justice Week 2026 webpage.

Towards Justice as a Common Good

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The Action Committee on Access to Justice has released a new national report, A Vision for Access to Justice: Towards Justice as a Common Good (également disponible en français).

The report proposes that justice be understood as essential public infrastructure grounded in dignity, substantive equality, fairness, and collective responsibility. Building on the movement toward people-centred justice, it identifies five principles for action: legal empowerment and prevention; connected pathways to legal help and resolution; services designed around people’s needs and lived experiences; an evidence-based culture; and sustainable resourcing.

The report invites justice-sector organizations and members of the public to consider their roles in making justice more accessible, responsive, and effective.

The Law Society of Ontario’s Access to Justice Week 2026

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From October 26th to 30th, the Law Society of Ontario will host its annual Access to Justice Week. This year’s virtual programming is organized around the theme “What Works, What’s Next.”

Throughout the week, legal professionals, researchers, community organizations, advocates, and members of the public will come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping access to justice in Canada. The program includes sessions on access to legal information and services; family and community justice; equity, human rights, and inclusion; Indigenous justice; technology and artificial intelligence; and collaborative approaches to systemic change.

Access to Justice Week provides an opportunity to learn about work taking place across the justice sector, consider emerging access-to-justice issues, and share ideas about what should come next.

For a look back at the 2025 program, read the Access to Justice Week 2025 Wrap-Up Report.

For more information and to explore and register for this year’s events and sessions, visit the LSO’s Access to Justice Week website.