Category Academic Research

Upcoming Access to Justice and Artificial Intelligence Events

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On 20 March 2025, from 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. CET (6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. EDT), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) will host a webinar on: Transforming Access to Justice through Artificial Intelligence.

Policymakers, legal experts, front-line activists, and justice innovators will discuss opportunities, risks, and governance strategies for AI-driven justice solutions and the broader role of AI in access to justice.

For more information, or to register, please visit: https://www.hiil.org/our-events/ai4justice-transforming-access-to-justice-through-artificial-intelligence/.

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On 2 April 2025, the Peter A. Allart School of Law at The University of British Columbia will host an AI and Law (Student) Symposium under the theme: Exploring Innovation, Challenges, and Legal Implications of a Technological Revolution.

Undergraduate and graduate students will engage in discussions on various topics related to AI and law, including:

  • AI & Free Expression: Algorithmic content moderation and political speech
  • AI & Litigation: Challenges in administrative and immigration law cases
  • AI & Accountability: Who is responsible when AI deceives?
  • AI & Creativity: The ownership of AI-generated works
  • AI & Journalism: Legal risks of AI in news reporting
  • AI & Law Practice: Regulating AI in legal decision-making
  • AI Personhood: How should we approach legal status for AI agents?

For more information, visit: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/ai-law-symposium.

Call for Proposals Launched for 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop

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The 3rd annual People-Centred Justice Workshop will take place from May 30-31, 2025 in Vancouver, BC, on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Organized by the BC Access to Justice Centre for Excellence at the University of Victoria, in collaboration with University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and Thompson Rivers University’s Faculty of Law, and building on the success of the 2023 and 2024 PCJ workshops, this event aims to provide a venue to discuss Canadian A2J initiatives. The theme for the 2025 Workshop is “Innovation in People-Centred Justice.” The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format, with AI-assisted translation services available for participants joining remotely or in person.

The organizing committee welcomes proposals on research, projects, or papers addressing any form of innovation in this field, whether through technology, procedural reform, or alternative approaches to people-centred justice. If you would like to participate, please submit your information and a brief proposal outline in this form by October 7, 2024. No abstract or complete work is required now, and subsequent deadlines will be communicated with participants. Participants will not be strictly held to the outline they provide. The October 7 deadline will allow organizers to better plan the workshop program and apply for funding to support the event.

The 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop will immediately follow the 2025 Conference of the Federation of Law Reform Agencies of Canada (FOLRAC), which will also be held in Vancouver. Some participants may wish to attend both events.

UVic Access to Justice Centre for Excellence Launches Justice Data and Design Lab

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The Access to Justice Centre for Excellence at the University of Victoria (UVic ACE) has released its first data update from the recently launched Justice Data and Design Lab (JDD). The JDD, which is housed at ACE, provides access to justice data insights specific to British Columbia.

Working with graduate students from the faculties of law and data science, the JDD has published data on the legal needs of British Columbians gleaned from social media site, Reddit.

Those interested in access to justice are encouraged to access the new JDD Interactive Display, which provides information on the types of legal problems people in B.C. are asking for help with on Reddit as of January 2024.

For information on how to download and view the interactive display, contact ACE at https://bcace.org/contact.

To better understand the type of data that the JDD is collecting and what they are learning from the data, there is a video explaining the data, available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LI7dpj9qZluZXAgXNFsKGFHh4qYm1WAV/view.

For general information on the Justice Data and Design Lab, visit: https://bcace.org/justice-data-and-design-lab. To learn more about the Access to Justice Centre for Excellence, visit: https://bcace.org/.

Access to Justice Organizations Collaborating on Person-Centred Justice, Change & Connection Workshop

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The Access to Justice Centre for Excellence at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law (ACE) and McGill University’s Faculty of Law in collaboration with the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ) and CREATE Justice at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law will be hosting a hybrid workshop on Person-Centred Justice, Change, and Connection at McGill University’s Faculty of Law from May 24-25, 2024 (the 2024 PCJ Workshop). Proposals are welcome from researchers, graduate students, and practitioners on themes related to access to justice and person-centred justice, including works and projects which challenge or expand understandings of the field through empirical, critical, or pluralistic lenses. The deadline to submit proposals is January 19, 2024.

The 2024 PCJ Workshop will build on the excellent discussions and scholarly exchanges that took place at the inaugural Person-Centred Justice workshop held at York University on May 29, 2023 and subsequent (forthcoming 2024) contributions to a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Law and Society on Person-Centred Justice. The workshop will be an opportunity to build connections between scholars, researchers, practitioners and other access to justice stakeholders across Canada; it will also facilitate the development of scholarly works for publication in journals that accept submissions on the themes of access to justice and person-centred justice such as the Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice (see submission guidelines). Finally, the 2024 PCJ Workshop will also support preparation for the upcoming International Access to Justice Forum to be held in Toronto in fall of 2024 in a friendly, collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

The 2024 PCJ Workshop will be held in a fully hybrid format, with a focus on virtual presenters on May 24th and in-person presenters on May 25th. Presenters will be arranged into panels based on themes that emerge from submissions to encourage new connections. In support of the 2024 PCJ Workshop, ACE and its partners are seeking the support of SSHRC through a Connections Grant. If ACE and its partners are successful in gaining Connections Grant funding, financial support will be available to:

  1. Provide travel support funding for participants that express a need for funding to attend in- person, such as graduate students and practitioners – priority will be given to those who apply by January 10, 2024;
  2. Provide simultaneous and documentary English/French translation to support bilingual proceedings at the 2024 PCJ Workshop; and
  3. Provide guidance and support for the publication and dissemination of research through avenues such as blog posts, social media channels, and scholarly journals.

Those interested in submitting an abstract (maximum 250 words) are asked to fill out the following online form by January 19, 2024: English Version | Version française

Inquiries about the event can be directed to: kaitlyncumming@gmail.com

Download a copy of the Call for Proposals here: https://ajrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/call-for-proposals-appel-a-participation-2024-pcj-workshop.pdf.

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Appel à propositions
Atelier hybride sur la justice axée sur la personne, le changement et les connexions Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill | 24 et 25 mai 2024

Le Centre d’excellence pour l’accès à la justice de la Faculté de droit de l’Université de Victoria (ACE) et la Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill en collaboration avec le Forum canadien sur la justice civile (FCJC) et CREATE Justice du Collège de droit de l’Université de Saskatchewan, a le plaisir d’annoncer qu’il organisera un atelier hybride sur la justice axée sur la personne, le changement et les connexions à la Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill les 24 et 25 mai 2024 (l’atelier JAP 2024). Nous invitons les chercheuses et chercheurs, les étudiant·es aux cycles supérieurs et les praticien·ne·s à soumettre des propositions sur des thèmes liés à l’accès à la justice et à la justice axée sur la personne, y compris des travaux et des projets qui remettent en question ou élargissent la compréhension du domaine à l’aide d’approches empiriques, critiques ou pluralistes. La date limite de soumission des propositions est le 19 janvier 2024.

L’atelier JAP 2024 construira sur le fondement des excellentes discussions et des échanges scientifiques qui ont eu lieu lors de l’atelier inaugural sur la justice axée sur la personne qui s’est tenu à l’Université York le 29 mai 2023 et sur les contributions ultérieures (dont la publication est à venir en 2024) à un numéro spécial de la Revue canadienne droit et société portant sur la justice axée sur la personne. L’atelier sera l’occasion d’établir des liens entre les universitaires, les chercheuses et chercheurs, les praticien·ne·s et d’autres acteurs de l’accès à la justice de partout au Canada; il facilitera également l’élaboration de travaux universitaires destinés à être publiés dans des revues qui acceptent des articles sur les thèmes de l’accès à la justice et de la justice axée sur la personne, telles que le Recueil annuel de Windsor d’accès à la justice (voir leurs lignes directrices pour les soumissions). Enfin, l’atelier JAP 2024 soutiendra également, dans une atmosphère amicale, de collaboration et de soutien, les préparatifs en vue du Forum international sur l’accès à la justice qui se tiendra à Toronto en automne 2024.

L’atelier JAP 2024 se déroulera de façon entièrement hybride, avec un accent sur les présentateurs virtuels le 24 mai et sur les présentateurs en personne le 25 mai. Les présentateurs seront répartis en panels en fonction des thèmes qui émergeront des soumissions afin d’encourager de nouvelles connexions. Pour soutenir l’atelier JAP 2024, ACE et ses partenaires sollicitent présentement le soutien du CRSH par le biais d’une Subvention Connexion. Si ACE et ses partenaires réussissent à obtenir ce financement, un soutien financier sera disponible pour :

  1. Fournir du financement pour les déplacements des participant·es qui en expriment le besoin pour assister à l’atelier en personne, tels que les étudiant·es aux cycles supérieurs et les praticien·ne·s – La priorité sera donnée à ceux qui auront déposé leur soumission avant le 10 janvier 2024;
  2. Fournir une traduction simultanée et documentaire de l’anglais au français et vice-versa, afin de permettre que l’atelier JAP 2024 se déroule dans les deux langues; et
  3. Fournir des conseils aux participant·es en soutenant la publication et la diffusion de la recherche par des moyens tels que des articles de blog, des médias sociaux et des revues académiques.

Les personnes intéressées à soumettre un résumé de leur contribution (250 mots maximum) sont priées de remplir le formulaire électronique suivant avant le 19 janvier 2024 : Version française | English Version

Les questions concernant l’événement peuvent être adressées à: kaitlyncumming@gmail.com

New Report Examines Court Injunctions Against Homeless Encampments in B.C.

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A worsening crisis in homelessness in B.C. has resulted in an increase in the number of homeless encampments on public lands. Encampments can be a source of shelter, support, and safety among unhoused people. While B.C.’s courts have recognized that it is unconstitutional to evict people seeking shelter on publicly-owned lands overnight if they cannot be accommodated in shelters, people experiencing homelessness will often lack daytime shelter or somewhere to store their belongings. The result is “a vicious cycle of continual displacement” in which unhoused people are often forced to pack up and move daily.

“Rush to Judgement”, a new report from the Centre for Law and the Environment and Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia presents findings from a comprehensive review of reported court decisions on injunctions against homeless encampments on publicly-owned lands in B.C. The report focuses on interlocutory and final injunctions from 2000 to 2022. Notably, a majority of decisions during this period were interlocutory injunctions (20 out of 24). The report underscores that, in most cases, an interlocutory injunction will mark the end of a case since it usually means that the government has achieved its goal of legally evicting encampment residents.

The report reveals that:

  • There is an 85% success rate for applications for interlocutory injunctions against homeless encampments in B.C.
  • Only about 25% of applications for final injunctions are successful
  • In some cases, interlocutory decisions apply a relaxed legal test that “minimizes or ignores the issues of irreparable harm and balance of convenience”

The full report, Rush to Judgement: A Critical Survey of Court Injunctions Against Homeless Encampments in BC, 2000-2022 is available online here: https://allard.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/2023-10/Rush%20to%20Judgment%20Report%20Oct%202023.pdf.

New Research Sheds Light on Legal Capability, Attitudes and Experience of the Law in Victoria

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Volume 1 of the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) examines everyday problems and legal need. Authors Nigel J. Balmer, Pascoe Pleasence, Hugh M. McDonald, and Rebecca L. Sandefur present findings in the first volume on the way that legal problems are experienced by adults in Victoria, the steps—if, any—people take to address their legal problem(s), how problems proceed, and how they end.  

Volume 1 reveals that approximately 42% of respondents reported having a legal problem. Problems related to goods and services (20.9%) were the most common, followed by fines (9.5%) and family problems (5.2%). Problems are correlated with disadvantage and result in significant individual and public costs. Legal problem experiences also commonly cause stress. In addition, the study indicates that problems often multiply and can be very difficult to shake off. The report presents findings on the relationship between disasters, emergencies and legal problems, revealing that among respondents affected by bushfires in 2019-20 there was a greater likelihood of experiencing more, diverse, and longer-lasting legal problems.

The study’s findings are based on responses from more than 6,000, mainly in-person surveys.

The second volume of the PULS (forthcoming) will explore legal capability, including differences across sociodemographic groups. The third volume of the PULS (forthcoming) will examine problem-solving behaviour and problem outcomes.

The Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) Volume 1: Everyday Problems and Legal Need is a project of the Victoria Law Foundation. The full report, as well as a report summary, and key findings are available online here: https://puls.victorialawfoundation.org.au/publications/everyday-problems-and-legal-need.

National Self-Represented Litigants Project Seeking Feedback on Virtual Hearings

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The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP), an organization that works to enhance the responsiveness of the Canadian justice system to self-represented litigants, is seeking feedback from self-represented persons on their experience in virtual hearings.

Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts and tribunals in Canada have increasingly shifted toward virtual processes, replacing many in-person court hearings with meetings via Zoom, Teams, etc. The National Self-Represented Litigants Project is conducting research aimed at understanding self-represented litigants’ experiences with virtual hearings in all legal environments (family, civil, criminal, tribunal). The survey is open to self-represented litigants anywhere in Canada. The survey is anonymous and will take no longer than 15-20 minutes to complete.

The survey is available in English here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C68ZLYP.

Ce sondage anonyme est disponible en français ici : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZDXDMJH.

This research is funded by the McLachlin Fund.

Access to Justice Research Study Launched in Manitoba

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The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law and the Law Society of Manitoba have launched a study to learn about the legal service needs of Manitobans. The recently launched Access to Justice Research Study seeks to engage practising and non-practising lawyers and articling students for a short, confidential survey on Manitobans’ legal needs. Researchers hope that insights from the study will contribute to better alignment of policies and services with access to justice needs in Manitoba. The survey is estimated to take approximately 15 minutes to complete and it will remain open until Thursday, September 29.

This research is being spearheaded by Professor Gerard Kennedy (University of Manitoba Faculty of Law) and Natasha Brown (Manitoba’s Access to Justice Coordinator ). To read the news release about this study or to take the survey, visit: https://lawsociety.mb.ca/university-of-manitoba-joint-access-to-justice-research-study/.

Indigenous Access to Civil Justice – Global Conference

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The Indigenous Access to Civil Justice Global Conference seeks to collectively identify and broadly mobilize what access to civil justice means for Indigenous people in postcolonial and settler colonial settings. Bringing together diverse scholars from across the globe, this conference will constructively unsettle conventional legal approaches to civil justice; build community; and enrich emergent access to justice innovations across jurisdictions and geographies. Presentation proposals are being accepted until October 14, 2022.

Who can apply?

Researchers, in or beyond the academy, whose work explores the interface between Indigenous experiences, identities, laws, and/or courts and access to civil justice. We welcome proposals on these or other related themes:

  • Conceptualizations of access and justice in Indigenous legal systems
  • Cross-jurisdictional access to justice challenges and collaborative possibilities
  • Tribal sovereignty and access to justice
  • The role of community paralegals, tribal lay advocates, and other non-lawyer actors
  • Place and spatial justice, including housing, climate change, and land/property rights
  • The health and wellbeing impacts of justice gaps in Indigenous communities
  • Evidence-based practices
  • Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and family law
  • Tribal, customary and peacemaking courts, restorative justice, and other justice forums
  • Indigenous research methodologies and access to justice
  • Responsible data, technology, and information exchange
  • Implementing and evaluating Indigenous access to justice initiatives in tribal and non-tribal court settings

Research exploring these topics from any jurisdiction and geography is welcome, as is comparative research.

How do I apply to participate?

Submit a one-page proposal describing your project.  This proposal should make clear:

  1. Your research question
  2. An overview of the data you will use or have access to
  3. The relationship of the project to the goals of the conference

Proposals should be submitted to indigenousa2jconf@gmail.com. Individuals will be notified by November 16, 2022 if their submission has been accepted.

Is there a registration fee?

There is no registration fee for the conference. Limited travel scholarships will be available and will be prioritized for participants who would not otherwise be able to attend.

Organizing Team

The conference is organized by Matthew Burnett (American Bar Foundation), Lisa Moore (Canadian Forum on Civil Justice), Rebecca Sandefur (Chickasaw Nation; Arizona State University and American Bar Foundation), and Michele Statz (University of Minnesota).

Questions? Email indigenousa2jconf@gmail.com.

To download a copy of the call for proposals, visit: https://ajrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/indigenous-access-to-civil-justice-cfp.pdf.

Law Commission of Ontario Publishes Major Report on Accountable AI

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The Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) has released a third major report examining artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making (ADM) in the Canadian justice system. 

“Accountable AI” analyzes AI and ADM systems used to assist government decision-making, and considers issues of legal accountability when these systems are applied in decision-making in the civil and administrative justice systems.

Key questions explored in the report include:

  • Why and how governments are using AI
  • How AI changes government decision-making
  • The elements of AI regulation
  • How to fulfill the promise of “Trustworthy AI”
  • How to adapt human rights and administrative law to government AI decision-making
  • Ensuring public engagement
  • Improving access to justice

The LCO’s “Accountable AI” report identifies 19 recommendations to address bias in AI systems, “black-box” decision-making, due process, and the need for public engagement.

The final report is available online here: https://www.lco-cdo.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LCO-Accountable_AI_Final_Report.pdf.

For the LCO’s other reports on AI, ADM and the justice system, visit the LCO website here: https://www.lco-cdo.org/en/our-current-projects/ai-adm-and-the-justice-system/.