Category National

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

ajrn1 Leave a comment

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.

Canada’s Second Voluntary National Review Now Available

ajrn1 Leave a comment

Canada’s 2023 Voluntary National Review – A Continued Journey for Implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals is now available in both official languages on the Government of Canada website. The report includes a message from Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau that highlights the interconnected nature of ongoing crises in economic, housing and food insecurity, climate change and other serious challenges in Canada and abroad. The Prime Minister’s introductory message also emphasizes the need to achieve gender equality and promote the empowerment of women and girls, and make progress on other UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The Voluntary National Review examines Canada’s achievements across the 17 SDGs. Canada is also tracking its work on advancing the SDGs through the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and the Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF).

The second Voluntary National Review provides details on ways that funding and other supports by Canada’s government to not-for-profit organizations, governments, academia, the private sector, Indigenous communities and organizations, women, youth and other stakeholders are helping to advance Canada’s national strategy. The review also highlights investments, milestones, and additional opportunities to implement the 2030 Agenda.

Canada’s 2023 Voluntary National Review – A Continued Journey for Implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals is available in English here: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/voluntary-national-review/2023-report.html.

Examen national volontaire 2023 du Canada – Une démarche continue à l’appui de la mise en œuvre du Programme 2030 et de l’atteinte des objectifs de développement durable est disponible en français ici : https://www.canada.ca/fr/emploi-developpement-social/programmes/programme-2030/examen-national-volontaire/rapport-2023.html.

National Self-Represented Litigants Project Seeking Feedback on Virtual Hearings

ajrn1 Leave a comment

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.

New Research Collection Explores Costs and Benefits of Community-Based Justice

ajrn1 Leave a comment

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ) has announced the publication of a series of reports and other research publications that examine the costs and benefits of community-based justice initiatives globally. The research stems from a collaborative, multi-country, multi-year study with research teams at the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice in Canada, the Centre for Community Justice and Development in South Africa, the Centre for Alternative Policy Research and Innovation in Sierra Leone, and the Katiba Institute in Kenya.

The main objectives of the Community-Based Justice Research (CBJR) project were:

(1)          Identify and assess the costs to justice seekers and providers of locally accessible justice services relative to the outcomes of these justice services; and,

(2)          Based on research insights, explore the potential to better support and scale community-based justice programs for broader impacts.

The project has resulted in a rich collection of reports, papers, blogs and other resources, including:

View the full CBJR research collection on the CFCJ website here: https://cfcj-fcjc.org/our-projects/community-based-justice-research-cbjr/.

The Community-Based Justice Research project was funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Canadian Government Seeking Input on Immigration System

ajrn1 Leave a comment

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.

Recently Revived Law Commission of Canada Launches Website

ajrn1 Leave a comment

The recently revived Law Commission of Canada has launched its website. First established in 1971 and revived and funded under the 2021 federal budget, the Law Commission of Canada is a statutory body with a mandate to provide “independent advice on improvements, modernization and reform for a just legal system that meets the changing needs of Canadian society”. The website provides an overview of the Law Commission’s mandate, background and principles. The Law Commission’s efforts to make the Canadian justice system more accessible and efficient will be outlined in an annual report.

Visit the Law Commission website in English here: https://www.canada.ca/en/law-commission-canada.html et en français ici : https://www.canada.ca/fr/commission-droit-canada.html.

The Law Commission of Canada Act is available online here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-6.7/index.html.

The Law Commission of Canada is available on Twitter at @LawCommCan et @CommDroitCan.

Supreme Court of Canada Launches Electronic Filing Portal

ajrn1 Leave a comment

Beginning Monday, January 30th, 2023, parties will be able to access a new Electronic Filing Portal to upload documents related to their case before the Supreme Court. With the exception of documents that are under a confidentiality order or sealed, the portal will be used for all filings. Users accessing the web-based portal will be required to register using an email address, which will be verified by the Registry Branch. Users will receive an initial confirmation of documents that are submitted, as well as a confirmation from the Registry when the documents are processed.

For more information about the Supreme Court of Canada’s Electronic Filing Portal, visit: https://www.scc-csc.ca/parties/efp-pde-info-eng.aspx.

Information about the Electronic Filing Portal is available in French here: https://www.scc-csc.ca/parties/efp-pde-info-fra.aspx. 

Annual Access to Justice Week to Focus on Using Data to Address Legal Needs

ajrn1 Leave a comment

The seventh annual Access to Justice Week will run from October 24 to 28, 2022. This year’s event will feature a series of workshops and presentations on the theme, “Access to Justice Counts: Using Data to Address the Legal Needs of Canadians”. The full schedule is now available. The public is invited to learn more by visiting the event website and register to attend events, which will take place virtually: https://lso.ca/theactiongroup/access-to-justice-week.

Justice Canada Revises Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments

ajrn1 Leave a comment

The Department of Justice Canada has made changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments. Incorporating feedback received from the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC), the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs (OCFJA) since 2016, the newly revised Questionnaire seeks to be more respectful and offer more inclusive language for candidates, among other changes. The Questionnaire is open to persons who wish to be considered for a federal judicial appointment.

For more information on changes to the Questionnaire, view the Department of Justice’s news release in English here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2022/09/government-of-canada-announces-changes-to-federal-judicial-appointment-questionnaire.html et en français ici : https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-justice/nouvelles/2022/09/le-gouvernement-du-canada-annonce-des-modifications-au-questionnaire-pour-les-nominations-a-la-magistrature-federale.html.

Justice Department Publishes Report on Indigenous and Restorative Justice Approaches

ajrn1 Leave a comment

A new report published by the Justice Department of Canada provides details on a panel discussion held in February 2022 on Indigenous and Restorative Justice Approaches. The panel discussion that informed the recently published Indigenous and Restorative Justice Approaches report was designed to help set the stage for the National Restorative Collaborative Learning Conference, taking place in October 2022. Key discussion themes at the February panel included: the need for greater awareness of concepts and terminology on Indigenous and restorative justice (Indigenous Justice, Customary laws, Restorative Justice, etc.); understanding the meaning of “justice”; and, more broadly, the need for more education and awareness among lawyers and legal professionals of how to be an ally to Indigenous peoples, the differences among and within First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and cultures, among other, related topics.

The Justice Department’s report on Indigenous and Restorative Justice Approaches is available in English here: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/irja-afajr/index.html.

Le rapport de la table ronde : Approches fondées sur les Autochtones et la justice réparatrice est disponible en français ici : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/pr-rp/jr/afajr-irja/index.html.