Category Manitoba

Canadian Association of Black Lawyers Launches First-of-its-kind Study Examining Black Lawyers’ Experiences in Canada

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The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), with support from The Counsel Network and the TD Ready Commitment, has launched a survey to gather information about “the work experiences, career paths, opportunities and challenges encountered by Black lawyers in Canada”. In an interview with Law360, the president of CABL, Kyle Elliott observed that the legal profession “hasn’t always done a good job of [collecting and sharing data]”, adding that this study will contribute demographic data and important insights to the overall understanding of inequities and inequalities in the legal profession.

The survey includes questions aimed at collecting data on the Black experience in the legal profession related to:

  • Job interviews
  • Work environments
  • Opportunities for advancement
  • Support from mentors/sponsorship
  • Experiences within law firms, government, public and private companies are all examined.

The survey will remain open until 31 July, 2023. To access the survey in English or French, visit: https://cabl.ca/the-survey-examining-the-black-lawyers-experience-in-canada-is-live/.

Report Examines Legal Problems Experienced by First Nations People Living Off Reserve, Métis, and Inuit Living in the Provinces

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A new report by the Centre for Indigenous Statistics and Partnerships examines the types and prevalence of legal problems experienced by First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit. The 19 problems and disputes considered in the research are based on the serious problems identified in the 2021 Canadian Legal Problems Survey (CLPS).

Among the findings, the report reveals that:

  • A higher percentage of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit experienced a serious legal problem in the past three years than non-racialized and non-Indigenous people
  • First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit experienced much higher rates of almost all 19 legal problem types than non-racialized and non-Indigenous people
  • Indigenous peoples experience problems related to discrimination at rates that are almost 2.5 times that of non-racialized/non-Indigenous people

Serious problems or disputes experienced by First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit living in the provinces is co-authored by Tristan Marshall and Mohan B. Kumar. It is available on the Statistics Canada website in English here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/41-20-0002/412000022023003-eng.htm.

Problèmes ou conflits graves vécus par les personnes des Premières Nations vivant hors réserve, les Métis et les Inuit vivant dans les provinces est disponible en français ici : https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/41-20-0002/412000022023003-fra.htm.

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.

Statistics Canada Launches Municipal and Local Data Portal

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Statistics Canada – in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities – announced the launch of the Centre for Municipal and Local Data (CMLD) portal.

The CMLD aims to serve as a clearinghouse for consistent and comparable municipal data, while “empower[ing] municipalities through timely, trusted and reliable data.”

The portal includes:

  • a data integration and visualisation tool which displays a set of key indicators geographically;
  • a data catalogue of statistics and indicators relevant to municipalities, such as the integration of census data, as well as housing, health and crime statistics;
  • a municipal mapping function;
  • a municipal financial and socioeconomic dashboard which currently allows for comparisons across 35 Canadian cities on standard financial indicators, including those relating to infrastructure spending, as well as allowing integration of selected socioeconomic indicators

Statistics Canada and the FCM invite stakeholders and the public to check the portal regularly as new data and features will continue to be added.

The recently launched Centre for Municipal and Local Data can be accessed online at: https://www159.statcan.gc.ca/index-eng.htm.

Some details about the CMLD in this post were copied from a news release from Statistics Canada’s Stakeholder Relations and Engagement Division.

Canadian Government Seeking Input on Immigration System

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The Canadian government is seeking input on the future of Canada’s immigration system. Until April 2023, the government is engaging stakeholders across Canada to collect feedback on:

  • How Canada’s immigration system can better support Canada’s future economic and social goals;
  • What works about the current immigration system;
  • Changes that would make the current system more successful, and milestones for future successes; and,
  • How Canada can best meet the needs of newcomers

Members of the public can share their views via a 15-minute online survey, available in French and English: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/canada-future-immigration-system.html.

The survey closes on April 27, 2023.

Manitoba Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program Accepting Proposals

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A pilot program that aims to provide Manitobans with new and innovative legal service options is now accepting proposals. The Law Society of Manitoba’s “Regulatory Sandbox” pilot program was created to facilitate legal service delivery by lawyers in ways that would not be allowed under current regulations. The program will also provide a safe environment for non-lawyers to provide advice and legal help.

For more information about the Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program, including access to the application and information on how to submit a proposal, visit the Law Society of Manitoba website here: https://lawsociety.mb.ca/about/lsm-initiatives/access-to-justice/regulatory-sandbox-pilot-program/. Legal service providers who are not lawyers are encouraged to apply.

Access to Justice Week in Manitoba is October 24-28, 2022

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Events for the third annual Access to Justice Week in Manitoba will run from October 24-28, 2022. The event will feature important conversations around access to justice in Manitoba and across Canada, including a presentation from Justice Canada representative, Susan McDonald on October 25 on People-Centered Data Collection. Access to Justice Week in Manitoba is being hosted jointly by the Manitoba Bar Association and the University of Manitoba.

For more information about Access to Justice Week, including the calendar of events, visit: https://lawsociety.mb.ca/access-to-justice-week-event-people-centred-data-collection-october-25-2022/.

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/.

Justice Canada Publishes Call for Projects under the Canadian Family Justice Fund

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The Department of Justice of Canada has released a call for projects under the Canadian Family Justice Fund (CFJF). The CFJF “facilitates access to the family justice system for families experiencing separation and divorce through the provision of various services, programs and information resources”.

Project proposals are being sought that focus on the following priority areas:

  • Supporting the well-being of family members
  • Reaching diverse and underserved populations
  • Supporting alternatives to court
  • Improving and streamlining family justice system links/processes  

Individuals, non-profit organizations and non-profit professional organizations, societies or associations, educational institutions, and private sector organizations sponsoring non-profit projects in partnership with federal, provincial, or territorial governments are invited to apply. Information on the Canadian Family Justice Fund is available in English at https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fund-fina/famil/index.html et en français à : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/fina-fund/famil/index.html.

Justice Canada Publishes Reports on Legal Problem Experiences in Canada’s Provinces

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Justice Canada has published a series of reports examining experiences with serious legal problems in Canada’s provinces. The Canadian Legal Problems Survey (CLPS) joins other Canadian legal problems surveys (in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2014) in providing important insights into Canadian’s experiences with serious legal problems and the impacts of these experiences.

Experiences of serious problems or disputes in the Canadian provinces, 2021 is published in English here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220118/dq220118c-eng.htm.
Expériences de conflits ou de problèmes graves dans les provinces canadiennes, 2021 est disponible en français ici : https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220118/dq220118c-fra.htm.

Justice Canada has also published a series of qualitative legal problems reports from studies carried out with different populations in different parts of Canada. Each report details experiences of these populations with serious legal problems. The collection of reports includes:

Serious Legal Problems faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Other Sexual-Minority People in Western Canada: A Qualitative Study: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/lgbtq/index.html.
Les graves problèmes juridiques rencontrés par les personnes lesbiennes, gaies, bisexuelles et autres membres de minorités sexuelles dans l’Ouest canadien : Une étude qualitative : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/lgbtq/index.html.

A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems Faced by Immigrants in Greater Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/ivvbc/index.html.
Un examen qualitatif des problèmes d’ordre juridique graves auxquels se heurtent les immigrants dans les agglomérations de Victoria et de Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique) : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/ivvbc/index.html.

A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems Facing Immigrants in London and Toronto, Ontario: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/ilto/index.html.
Un examen qualitatif des problèmes d’ordre juridique graves auxquels font face les immigrants à London et à Toronto (Ontario) : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/ilto/index.html.

Serious Problems Experienced by People with Disabilities Living in Atlantic Canada: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/pwdac-phca/index.html.
Problèmes graves rencontrés par les personnes handicapées au Canada atlantique : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/phca-pwdac/index.html.

A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems for People with Disabilities in Central Canada: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/pwdcc-phcc/index.html.
Un examen qualitatif des problèmes d’ordre juridique graves touchant les personnes handicapées dans le centre du Canada : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/phcc-pwdcc/index.html.

Serious Problems Experienced by Diverse People with Disabilities: Western Canada: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/pwdwc-phcw/index.html.
Problèmes graves rencontrés par diverses personnes en situation de handicap – Ouest du Canada : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/phcw-pwdwc/index.html.