Category National

Justice Canada Publishes Steering Group Report on Black Justice Strategy

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Canada’s Department of Justice has announced the publication of an external Steering Group report in support of the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. Canada’s Black Justice Strategy aims to “address the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime.” A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada’s Black Justice Strategy is informed by Steering Group led discussions held between March 2023 and February 2024.

Key areas of focus for the discussions included:

  • Social Determinants of Justice – Employment and Income, Housing, Education, Health and Mental Health, Child Welfare, and Immigration and Settlement  
  • Policing
  • Courts and Legislation
  • Corrections
  • Parole, Re-entry and Reintegration

The report includes eight structural and accountability recommendations aimed at advancing systemic change, and 106 short, medium and long-term recommendations identified under the five key areas of focus.

A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada’s Black Justice Strategy by Akwasi Owusu-Bempah and Zilla Jones is available in English here: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cbjs-scjn/transformative-transformateur/index.html.

Étapes pour un changement transformateur : Stratégie canadienne en matière de justice pour les personnes noires est disponible en français ici : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/jp-cj/scjn-cbjs/transformateur-transformative/index.html.

The Advocates’ Society Calls for Expansion of Unified Family Courts to Increase A2J

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A newly published paper by The Advocates’ Society (TAS) calls for Canada’s federal and provincial governments to implement and fully resource Unified Family Courts across Canada, in areas where this service is not available. Delay No Longer: Family Justice Now highlights the crisis in Canada’s family court system, which the paper identifies as exacerbated by inefficiencies, costs, and delays created by the handling of family law matters by a two-tiered family court system.

Unified Family Courts are specialized and would allow for all family law matters to be handled in one place. The Unified Family Court was first introduced in Canada in the 1970s.

The paper examines:

  • The Current State of Unified Family Court Expansion in Canada
  • What Unified Family Courts Do and Why they Matter
  • Benefits of Unified Family Courts
  • Possible Challenges for the Broader Implementation of Unified Family Courts

Delay No Longer: Family Justice Now – A Call to Implement the Unified Family Court Across Canada by The Advocates’ Society is available online here: https://www.advocates.ca/Upload/Files/PDF/Advocacy/DelayNoLonger/Delay_No_Longer_Family_Justice_Now_June_2024.pdf.

Law Commission of Canada Publishes Reflection Paper

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Recall to Reimagine: (Re)Creating the Law Commission of Canada outlines the Law Commission of Canada’s commitment to “learning from the past by drawing guidance and insights from the structure and work of its earlier version”. The Law Commission operated from 1997 to 2006. After 17 years, the Law Commission reopened its doors in June 2003 with the appointment of a new president. This paper discusses the past, present, and future of the Law Commission.

Part I of Recall to Reimagine: (Re)Creating the Law Commission of Canada discusses the Law Commission’s goals and work from 1997 to 2006, including why the Law Commission of Canada was founded, the Law Commission of Canada Act, S.C. 1996, and the management and organizational structure of the Law Commission. Part II discusses the Law Commission’s current mandate and the promise of today’s Law Commission. The theme for Part II is Rebuild, Resituate, Reimagine.

To read the Law Commission of Canada’s newly published reflection paper in English, visit: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/lcc-cdc/documents/RecalltoReimagine.pdf.

Se Souvenir Pour Réinventer : la (ré)création de la Commission du droit du Canada est disponible en français ici : https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/lcc-cdc/documents-fr/Sesouvenirpourr-inventer.pdf.

Canada’s 2024 Annual SDG Report Sheds Light on Efforts to Advance Justice, Peace and Strong Institutions

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Canada’s 2024 Annual Report on the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlines progress to advance five UN SDGs which will be the focus of the 2024 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, taking place in July 2024. The UN SDGs under review in the 2024 report include:

  • SDG 1: No Poverty
  • SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • SDG 13: Climate Action
  • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Notable for the justice community, the report identifies examples of ongoing efforts aimed at creating a just country for everyone in Canada, including through the following organizations and initiatives:

  • The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice – works on public‑focused, actionable research and evidence‑based advocacy on civil and family justice to promote equal access to justice for all;
  • The Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment – works to prevent economic abuse and combat systemic barriers faced by Black, Indigenous and People of Colour;
  • Éducaloi – works to make legal issues easy to understand for the general population
  • The Government of Ontario’s One Vision One Voice program – provided anti‑Black racism training to more than 100 child welfare leaders;
  • The City of Vancouver’s Healthy City Strategy – includes a focus on accessibility, safety and security, community granting, community economic development, anti‑racism, cultural redress, and Indigenous relations and reconciliation.

Taking Action Together: Canada’s 2024 Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals was published on 12 June 2024. The report is available in English here: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/2024-annual-report-sdg.html.

Agir ensemble : Rapport annuel de 2024 du Canada sur le Programme 2030 et les objectifs de développement durable est disponible en Français ici : https://www.canada.ca/fr/emploi-developpement-social/programmes/programme-2030/rapport-annuel-2024-odd.html.

Statistics Canada Publishes Infographic on UN SDG 16

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An infographic published by Statistics Canada on January 25, 2024 provides an overview of Canada’s standing on several indicators for UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

The infographic reveals, for example, that:

  • In 2022, less than 50% of Canadians had confidence in the justice system and courts. This figure is lowest among LGBTQ2+ people.
  • Almost 32% of non-Indigenous people had confidence in the Canadian media
  • Fraud accounted for over 36,800 violations in 2022 (which is roughly half of all cyber-related violations)

The infographic is available in English here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-637-x/2022001/article/00016-eng.htm.

The infographic is available in French here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-637-x/2022001/article/00016-fra.htm.

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

Public Legal Education Association of Canada Annual Conference Takes Place October 25–26, 2023

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The Public Legal Education Association of Canada (PLEAC), the national umbrella organization for public legal education and information (PLEI) groups across Canada, will hold their annual conference this year in Toronto from October 25th to 26th.

The conference will include workshops, plenaries, and townhall sessions on a range of topics, including: “The Role of Community Workers and Other Trusted Helpers in the Justice Ecosystem”, “Artificial Intelligence: How to Harness it (for good) for Public Legal Education”, and “Advocating for Better Justice: Does Public Legal Education Have a Role?”

Attendance is capped at 150 people.

To learn more about the conference, how to register, conference fees and more, visit the PLEAC website here: https://www.pleac-aceij.ca/our-work/annual-conference/.

Women in Law Reflect on Challenges, Triumphs, and Regrets in New Book

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A new collection, edited by Beth Bilson (University of Saskatchewan, College of Law), Leah Howie (Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan), and Brea Lowenberger (Saskatchewan’s Access to Justice Coordinator), presents the experiences of 18 women navigating law school and legal careers. Contributors – who are from different generations and different areas of law – discuss various issues they have faced in their journey in law and the impacts of gender-based and race-based discrimination, sexual orientation, and disability in their careers.

The foreword for this collection is written by The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin.

Creating a Seat at the Table: Reflections from Women in Law is available for pre-order: https://uofrpress.ca/Books/C/Creating-a-Seat-at-the-Table.

New Report Examines Perceptions of Canada’s Justice System and Experiences of Discrimination among Chinese People in Canada

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According to a new report published by Statistics Canada, Chinese people experience different forms of discrimination in Canada, including discrimination based on: race or skin colour (22%), ethnicity or culture (17%), language (11%), physical appearance (5.1%), sex (4.3%), age (3.7%) and gender identity or expression (1.4%).

A majority of Chinese people surveyed for the General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety in 2019 reported significant or some confidence in the police (85%). However, compared to other racialized and non-racialized groups, Chinese people were less likely to rate the police positively for every indicator of police performance included in the survey, and their overall confidence in the police is lower than that of the non-racialized population (92%). The report also cites findings from the Canadian Legal Problems Survey (CLPS) revealing that, within the 3-year reference period of the CLPS, approximately 16% of Chinese people experienced at least one legal problem or dispute they considered serious or difficult to address. This is compared to 21% of other racialized populations who experienced serious and difficult-to-resolve legal problems for the same period.

The diverse insights from the Experiences of Discrimination in Daily Life among Chinese People in Canada, and their Perceptions of and Experiences with the Police and the Justice System report are available on the Statistics Canada website in English here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2023001/article/00005-eng.htm.

Expériences de discrimination dans la vie quotidienne des personnes chinoises au Canada, et expériences et perceptions de celles-ci relatives à la police et au système de justice est disponsible en français ici : https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2023001/article/00005-fra.htm.

The report is written by Shana Conroy.

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/.