Saskatchewan’s Access to Justice Week Includes In-Person Events to Connect People with Legal Information, Assistance

Saskatchewan’s Access to Justice Week will take place from October 27–November 2, 2025. The theme of this year’s event aligns with the theme of other Access to Justice Weeks taking place during the same period: Ten Years Forward: Expanding Justice, Embracing Inclusion.

In-person events taking place in Saskatchewan for Access to Justice Week include:

  • Saskatoon Public Library Law Fair – October 23, 2025 (prior to the official start of A2J Week), 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm CT
    The Saskatoon Public Library is hosting a free, drop-in Law Fair to connect people with legal information, assistance, and services from government and non-profit organizations. Attendees can join free presentations on common legal topics, get help during family law and wills/estates sessions, and explore a tradeshow featuring local and provincial organizations, all at no cost.

  • Community Social Justice Fair – October 27, 2025, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm CT
    This event is designed for community members who are unhoused or who experience poverty, injustice, or systemic barriers. The Fair will bring together a wide range of supports and services, with a focus on reciprocity and community care. Attendees can connect with:
    • Information and resources about legal services
    • Employment and education information
    • Food, giveaways, and a photobooth
    • Health information and on-site services
    • Naloxone kits and information about the drug toxicity crisis 

  • Regina Public Library Law Fair – November 1, 2025, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm CT
    The Regina Public Library is hosting a free, drop-in Law Fair to connect people with legal information, assistance, and services from government and non-profit organizations. The event aims to raise awareness of legal rights and responsibilities and to provide guidance on accessing legal information and support. Attendees can join free presentations on common legal topics, get help during family law and wills/estates sessions, and explore a tradeshow featuring local and provincial organizations, all at no cost.

Virtual events are available to stakeholders in Saskatchewan through Ontario’s Access to Justice Week: https://lso.ca/theactiongroup/access-to-justice-week.

For more information about Saskatchewan’s Access to Justice Week, including the location of in-person events or information about online engagement, please visit: https://www.lawsociety.sk.ca/initiatives/access-to-justice-week/.

Access to Justice Week in Ontario Takes Place from October 27-31, 2025

This year, Ontario’s Access to Justice Week will take place from October 27-31. The theme of this year’s Access to Justice Week is: 10 Years Forward: Expanding Justice, Embracing Inclusion.

The 2025 event includes the following virtual sessions:

  • Monday, October 27 2:00 pm ET – 3:00 pm ET
    AI in the Canadian Criminal Justice System
  • Tuesday, October 28 11:00 am ET – 11:30 am ET
    Introduction to Friendship Centres
    1:00 pm ET – 2:00 pm ET
    Access to more inclusive and accessible justice: what does that mean?
    5:00 pm ET – 7:00 pm ET
    Starting Strong: New Paralegals, New Possibilities
  • Wednesday, October 29 11:00 am ET – 12:00 pm ET
    Building Tomorrow’s Legal Research: How CanLII’s Evolution Expands Access to Justice
    12:00 pm ET – 1:00 pm ET
    Evolution of Indigenous Services at Legal Aid Ontario
    1:00 pm ET – 2:00 pm ET
    Supporting Neurodivergent Individuals in the Court System
    5:00 pm ET – 6:30 pm ET
    Answers to your everyday questions
  • Thursday, October 30 12:30 pm ET – 1:30 pm ET
    Trans ID Clinics connect law students, lawyers and community organizations in access to justice
    1:30 pm ET – 2:30 pm ET
    Supporting Youth with No Precarious Immigration Status – an Introduction to CASA

For more information about Ontario’s Access to Justice Week sessions or to register, visit: https://lso.ca/theactiongroup/access-to-justice-week.

Manitoba Announces Events for Annual Access to Justice Week

Manitoba will host its 10th annual Access to Justice Week from October 27 – 31, 2025. The event is being presented in partnership by The Law Society of Manitoba, The Manitoba Bar Association and the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. Events taking place during Access to Justice Week in Manitoba include:

  • Monday, October 27 12:00 pm CT – 1:30 pm CT
    Making Rights Real: A Vision for Providing Accessible Legal Services
  • Tuesday, October 28 12:00 pm CT – 1:30 pm CT
    AI and Access to Justice: Promise, Pitfalls, and Practice
  • Wednesday, October 29 12:00 pm CT – 1:30 pm CT
    Access to Justice through Art and Media
  • Thursday, October 30 12:00 pm CT – 1:30 pm CT
     Sentencing Circles, Gladue and IRCA Reports

The theme of this year’s Access to Justice Week is: 10 Years Forward: Expanding Justice, Embracing Inclusion. To learn more about virtual or in-person events for Manitoba’s Access to Justice Week or to register for an event, please visit: https://mbaccesstojustice.ca/a2j-week-2025/.

B.C. Access-to-Justice Hackathon Returning for Third Year

Justice Hack, an access-to-justice hackathon in British Columbia, will take place on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday October 26th. Technologists, lawyers, justice system stakeholders and other interested persons are invited to join this event to brainstorm about access to justice and law and collaborate with others to build legal tech solutions that can meet needs and have an impact. The theme of this year’s event is employment and workplace rights.

Participants can sign up solo, with another person, or with a team. For the event, participants will be asked to work in groups of 3-5 people. There is a cost to join the event and each ticket includes meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. For more information about the Justce Hack event or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-justice-hack-bcs-largest-access-to-justice-hackathon-tickets-1647417091869

Innocence Ottawa to Host Access to Justice Forum During AGM

As part of their upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), Innocence Ottawa is hosting an access to justice forum to spotlight wrongful convictions and the important work being carried out by Indigenous organizations in the community.

Through this forum, Innocence Ottawa will bring together innocence projects, Indigenous community organizations, and justice-focused groups to share their work and connect with attendees. Individuals or organizations interested in participating in the forum are encouraged to connect with Innocence Ottawa for more information: https://innocenceottawa.ca/. The AGM will take place on Thursday, October 9th from 6-8pm at the University of Ottawa. 

Public Legal Education Association of Canada Announces National Conference, Issues Call for Proposals

The Public Legal Education Association of Canada (PLEAC) will hold their annual conference on February 18 and 19, 2026, with an additional event on February 20, 2026, for producers of public legal education and information. This year’s conference will be held in Ottawa.

PLEAC is currently accepting proposals on topics that underscore the use and importance of tools and strategies for public legal education, emerging research on public legal education, or collaborative approaches in public legal education and access to justice. Potential themes include:

  • Using evolving technologies effectively, including interactive tools and generative AI
  • Using data in a practical way to inform and improve public legal education work
  • Experiences with and strategies for connecting with rural and remote, and Indigenous communities
  • Supporting the critical justice-related work being done on the front lines by non-lawyer community workers across Canada

While completed proposals are preferred, the organizing committee will review proposals where session/presentation details are not yet finalized. Proposals will be accepted until Friday, October 10, 2025 via this form.

Registration for the conference will open soon and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. 

For more information about the PLEAC National Conference, please visit the PLEAC website here: https://www.pleac-aceij.ca/our-work/annual-conference/.

2025 International Access to Justice Forum Releases Call for Proposals

The 2025 International Access to Justice (IAJ) Forum will take place on September 26th and 27th at NYU and Fordham University in New York.

The IAJ Forum invites scholars, researchers, practitioners, reformers, judge, dispute resolution experts and other legal stakeholders to share new research, theory, and policy developments related to the global movement for civil justice.

Proposals to speak at the 2025 IAJ Forum are being accepted until April 15th, 2025.

The 2025 IAJ Forum invites persons interested in attending this year’s forum to sign up now. In person registration costs $250; online registration is $75. Partial scholarships may be available in limited numbers to international presenters.

For more information about the 2025 International Access to Justice Forum, including access to the submission form for proposals, please visit: https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/civiljustice/a2j2025.

Access to Justice Week BC Takes Place February 3-7, 2025

This year, Access to Justice Week BC will take place from February 3-7, 2025. Law students, legal professionals, law professors and others have organized and are participating in sessions under the Week’s theme “What does the future of access to justice look like?”

Sessions will take place in-person, online, or in a hybrid format. Sessions taking place as part of Access to Justice Week BC 2025 include:

Monday, February 3, 2025:
Reimagining Justice through User-Centred Principles
Speakers:
Zach Zarnow, Deputy Managing Director, National Center for State Courts
Dr. Andrew Pilliar, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University
Angie Still, Virtual Client Navigator, BC First Nations Justice Council
Moderator:  Sarah McCoubrey, Director of IJC Transformation, BC First Nations Justice Council

Tuesday, February 4, 2025:
Access to Justice for Victims of Economic Abuse
Speakers:
Dr. McKay White,
Associate Professor, Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy & Law, MacEwan University

Wednesday, February 5, 2025:
Access to Justice in the AI Era:  Risk vs. Innovation
Speakers:
Professor Amy Salyzyn
, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, University of Ottawa
Michael Litchfield, Director, Faculty of Law, Artificial Intelligence Risk and Regulation Lab & the Business Law Clinic, University of Victoria | Associate Director, BC Access to Justice Centre for Excellence
Moderator:  Tina Parbhakar, Strategic Coordinator, Access to Justice BC

Thursday, February 6, 2025:
A2J Data Working Lunch

Bridging the Justice Gap: Hackathons as Catalysts for Change
Speakers:
Brandon Hastings
, Lawyer & Mediator
Dr. Megan Ma, Associate Director, CodeX and Law, Science, Technology Program, Stanford Law School
Amy A. Emerson, Assistant Dean for Library and Information Services & Professor of Law, Villanova University
Insiya Jamal, Project Manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Responsible Computer Challenge and Senior Associate at the King’s College of the University of Cambridge
Zarja Hude, Senior Associate, King’s College, University of Cambridg
Moderator: Hayley Woodin Hastings
, Editor-in-Chief, Business in Vancouver (BIV)

Friday, February 7, 2025:
Access to Justice and Fair Proceedings:  The Fundamental Conflict Between an Inherently Complex Justice System and Self-Representation
Speakers:
Professor Nikos Harris KC
, Faculty of Law, UBC Allard Law School
Other speakers will be announced shortly.

Additional details about sessions taking place during Access to Justice Week BC and information on how to register for sessions are available here: https://accesstojusticebc.ca/a2jweekbc/.

Manitoba Announces Dates and Theme for 2024 Access to Justice Week

This year, Access to Justice Week in Manitoba will be held from October 28th to November 1st, 2024. Manitoba Access to Justice Week provides an opportunity for justice stakeholders to meet to discuss a shared focus on meaningful solutions that improve the justice system for its users. This year, the theme of Manitoba Access to Justice Week is Increasing Impact: Collaboration, Change, and Capacity Building.

The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law, The Law Society of Manitoba and the Manitoba Bar Association are supporting events during this year’s Access to Justice Week. Events taking place online include:

All events offer 1.5 hours of continuing professional development (CPD). To register, or for more information about Manitoba Access to Justice Week, visit: https://mbaccesstojustice.ca/access-to-justice-week-2024/ or https://news.umanitoba.ca/access-to-justice-week-is-october-28th-november-1st-2024/.

Call for Proposals Launched for 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop

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.