Category Online Dispute Resolution

Ontario Government Announces Investment in Digital Justice Platform

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The government of Ontario has announced funding of more than $160 million to support increased access to legal services online, and the transition from paper-based procedures to an online platform to access the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. The government indicates that these investments are being made to make it “easier and faster to resolve legal matters by moving more services online.”

Thomson Reuters has been contracted to deliver a new online justice platform aimed at providing the following capabilities for users:

  • Easier and faster document-filing online
  • The ability to digitally access court case information online
  • Online payment of fees
  • Virtually connect to hearings
  • Management of court appearances online
  • Receive decisions electronically

The news release about Ontario’s investment in a digital justice platform is available through Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003292/ontario-investing-in-digital-justice-platform.

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.

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario Report Examines the Impacts of Shift to Online Hearings

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A new report by the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) examines how the move from in-person to online hearings is impacting low-income tenants across Ontario. “Digital Evictions: The Landlord and Tenant Board’s Experiment in Online Hearings” discusses the challenges and consequences for tenants who do not have access to reliable internet and phone services for their hearings. The report also indicates that the shift to online hearings may have disproportionate adverse impacts for rural and remote households, tenants whose first language is not English, people with mental health issues, and people who are illiterate or innumerate.

The ACTO report explores data from several sources, including surveys of digital hearings that were carried out across Ontario from March to May, 2021 and reveals several drawbacks to participation in a virtual hearing by video or phone. The report also highlights ACTO’s concern that the digital first approach to hearings will continue post pandemic. “Digital Evictions: The Landlord and Tenant Board’s Experiment in Online Hearings” is available on the ACTO website here: https://www.acto.ca/production/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Digital-Evictions-ACTO.pdf.

Great ERSS Example!

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By: Chantel Amato

The Halton Community Legal Services, with funding from the Legal Aid Ontario’s Fund to Strengthen Capacity of Legal Clinics, has developed the Legal Health Check-Up Project. This initiative focuses on being proactive rather than reactive to everyday legal problems. The “check-up”, which can be accessed here, helps those living in poverty get help they need to solve their problems before litigation becomes necessary. The clinic points out that many people do not easily identify their problems as legal ones and often do not get help, which sometimes leads to other problems.

This initiative is currently moving into a preliminary phase to collect data while actively providing services. A list of participating clinics can be found here.

Ab Currie, Senior Research Fellow at the CFCJ, has written a blog post about this initiative on the A2J Blog.