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

October 8, 2025October 8, 2025ajrn1 Leave a comment

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/.

Annual Conference Aims to Promote Canadian Leadership in AI and Tech for Justice

September 15, 2025September 15, 2025ajrn1 Leave a comment

The 2025 Autonomy through Cyberjustice Technologies (ACT) Partnership Conference aims to bring attention to Canada’s leadership in artificial intelligence and technological innovation in the justice system. The ACT conference is an annual gathering that has taken place since 2018. It is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and brings together dozens of partners and stakeholders representing all areas of the justice system.

This year’s ACT Conference includes panels and presentations on the following themes:

Legal Contestability and Scientific Falsifiability in AI Decision-Making
Regulating AI in the Justice Sector (The Regulatory Reflex)
Experimenting with AI Technologies to Enhance Judicial Actors’ Autonomy
Lessons to Improve Practices of Justice Stakeholders
Young Researchers: AI & Tech, Justice and Politics

The 2025 ACT Conference takes place from October 15-16, 2025, in Montreal. Information about Conference is available online here: https://www.ajcact.org/en/conference-2025/program/. Additional details about the ACT Project are available here: https://www.ajcact.org/en.

National Action Committee to Host Conference on Data Sharing and Knowledge Building

July 30, 2025July 30, 2025ajrn1 Leave a comment

The Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters will host its inaugural access to justice research conference from May 26-28, 2026, under the theme “Advancing People-Centred Justice in Canada: Data Sharing and Knowledge Building”. The conference will take place at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. Proposals are being accepted until October 1, 2026.

Proposals may be individual, joint or panel presentations, workshops, roundtables, or other formats. Those interested in submitting a proposal are encouraged to use one of the following themes or a related theme:

Data mapping and exploring
Data access and sharing
Data and knowledge needs/gaps
New knowledge (new data analysis)
Understanding people-centered justice
Priority justice seekers

For more information about the Action Committee’s conference, please visit: https://www.justicedevelopmentgoals.ca/events.

Information about the conference is available in French here: https://www.objectifsdelaccesalajustice.ca/evenements.

Upcoming Access to Justice and Artificial Intelligence Events

March 17, 2025March 17, 2025ajrn1 Leave a comment

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.

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

January 29, 2025January 29, 2025ajrn1 Leave a comment

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/.

Call for Proposals Launched for 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop

September 18, 2024September 18, 2024ajrn1 Leave a comment

The 3^rd 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.