Category Conferences

Justice, not Just Access: Effective Outcomes for Children Children’s Legal Rights – the Fundamentals

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In May 2015, The Honourable Donna Martinson, Q.C., presented a paper entitled “Justice, not Just Access: Effective Outcomes for Children Children’s Legal Rights – the Fundamentals” at the Access to Justice for Children Conference – CLEBC in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The paper begins with an introduction on justice for children and moves on to an overview of how the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child applies in Canada. This overview includes both a description of how Canada has implemented this convention and how this related to the Charter.

The paper further goes on to discuss the Committee on the Rights of the Child, its role, the four general principles of the Convention and an evaluation of State compliance. It also analyses when children’s rights must be considered and what Canada’s obligations are under the Convention.

In the final section of the paper, “A Roadmap for Change for Children – Access to Justice Phase 2”, Honourable Donna Martinson “respectfully suggest(s) that now is the time to integrate into our national access to justice discussions a specific roadmap which recognizes the special considerations that apply in order to achieve justice for children…”

A subscription to the webinar archive can be accessed at http://www.cle.bc.ca/onlinestore/productdetails.aspx?cid=1134

Innovation and Access to Justice Conference

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Please see below, a reminder from Sherry MacLennan, Director, Public Legal Information & Applications, Legal Services Society

This is a reminder that the Innovation and Access to Justice Conference is just a few weeks away – October 1 and 2. A few spots remain available and we are hoping to sell out. It is attracting a broad swath of interest from innovators across the legal community, ranging from government, law societies, legal aid, the private bar, PLEI providers and academics from across Canada.

This conference is in Montreal for the low registration fee of $175 to ensure the conference’s accessibility. However, this will increase to $200 on September 28. The final date to register is September 29. It will not be possible to register in person at the conference.

You may view the agenda and register at: http://iaj2015.openum.ca/registration/

 

Innovation & Access to Justice Conference: Call for Proposals

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This fall, the Winkler Institute is partnering with The Public Legal Education Association of Canada, Cyberjustice Laboratory, the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, and the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice to host the Innovation in Access to Justice Conference (IAJC) in Montreal, QC October 1st – 2nd.

The IAJC is currently accepting proposals for workshop sessions until June 22, 2015.

If you or someone you know is interested in submitting a proposal to the conference, email Karine Gentelet at karine.gentelet@umontreal.ca, or Nicole Aylwin at naylwin@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Access to Justice for Children: A B.C. Continuing Legal Education Society Conference

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**Repost from Canadian Legal Ethics listserv**

An exciting two day B.C. Continuing Legal Education Society conference called Access to Justice for Children  will take place in Vancouver, at the Pan Pacific Hotel, on May 14-15, 2015.

From the conference description:

The Canadian legal profession is engaged in critically important discussions about access to justice. Ensuring access to justice for children must be a key component of those discussions. Children in Canada have broad legal entitlements under domestic and international law, including significant participatory rights, which have the potential to shape their everyday lives in positive ways and to protect them when they become involved in court, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), or administrative processes […] All lawyers have obligations to prepare, with the participation of children, Child Rights Impact Statements for all legislative and policy decision making.

The conference agenda can be found here.

Keynote speakers include:

  • Senator Raynell Andreychuk,  a former lawyer, judge and diplomat and chaired the Senate Standing Human Rights Committee that produced the report Children: the Silenced Citizens on Canada’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and
  • Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a B.C.’s Children’s Representative and a passionate advocate for children and for effective legal representation for them.

Other out of province speakers who are committed to advancing children’s rights include:

  • Lucy McSweeney, the Children’s Lawyer for Ontario,
  • Christian Whalen, Chair of the CBA National Children’s Law Committee, and
  • Lisa Wolff, UNICEF Canada.

Judge Marion Buller and Judge Rose Raven from the B.C. Provincial Court and Justice Margot Fleming from B.C. Supreme Court) also bring their considerable knowledge and keen interest in justice for children to our access to justice discussions.