Canada's Access to Justice Week 2023: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Canada's Justice Development Goals Français

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Law Society of Ontario

Oct 20, 2023, 10:15 ET

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2023 /CNW/ - The fourth annual National Access to Justice Week is taking place from October 23 to 27 with programming for legal professionals, community and justice sector workers and members of the public offered in collaboration with British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan. This year's theme is centred around the 10th Anniversary of Canada's Justice Development Goals. Jurisdictions across the country will celebrate the progress made in advancing access to justice and assess the work that lies ahead to continue challenging systemic barriers, to innovate, and to ensure a just, effective and accessible justice system for all.

Nationally focused events, include:

  • McKercher lecture series, family justice: Indigenous world view jurisdiction must prevail
  • Saskatchewan legal needs assessment
  • Access to justice in French: A world to discover
  • Fostering an A2J-oriented legal community: Early introduction to A2J
  • Two spirit and trans people's perception of legal actors
  • Are we there yet? Reflecting on A2J progress & the obligation to advance A2J in Manitoba
  • Meeting everyday legal needs: A view from British Columbia
  • Enforcing support orders
  • Racial equity, legal education and access to justice
  • Creating a seat at the table, Saskatoon book launch event
  • Access to justice in family law and navigating a file with a self-represented litigant.

To learn more and register for national and local events happening throughout the week, visit the schedule on the TAG website.

In addition to national events, each participating province will host a full line-up of local events, including some free legal education seminars for members of the public, intended to help answer everyday legal questions and connect participants to relevant legal resources. For local programming schedules and registration information, refer to the links below:

Programs are free; however, advance registration is required. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation for legal professionals may be granted for some sessions.

The Access to Justice Week is an opportunity for legal professionals, community justice partners, and members of the public from across Canada to learn about new initiatives, connect with diverse partners and explore and review critical access to justice issues from different perspectives. 

Quotes

"It is vital that those of us in the legal and justice sectors work together to facilitate increased access to justice for all Canadians. National A2J Week is a unique opportunity to bring legal professionals, colleagues from the justice sector, academics, service providers and members of the public, from across the country, together. It brings focus to access to justice and initiates discussions about current barriers and possible solutions."

- Treasurer Jacqueline Horvat, Law Society of Ontario

"This year's event, the 8th Annual SK A2J Week in Saskatchewan, emphasizes inclusivity and data-informed change and aims to engage new and diverse voices and to highlight initiatives working to improve justice for Saskatchewan residents."

- Create Justice and Law Society of Saskatchewan, Co-hosts of Access to Justice Week in Saskatchewan

"On behalf of the Manitoba planning committee, I am pleased to invite members of the public to learn about Access to Justice in the context of French language, racial equity and the affordability of legal services, and the obligations of the legal profession's regulatory body to advance this important need. Making the law accessible and transparent to the public is of utmost importance to all of our organizations."

- Natasha Brown, Director of Access to Justice and Community Engagement at the Faculty of Law

"2023 is the 10th Anniversary of the Justice Development Goals (JDG)'s. This year, the Action Committee's National A2J week presentation is built around JDG 6, Building Capacity. Our panel explores how a broader understanding of law students' and young legal professionals' views and experiences with A2J can potentially help inform where the broader A2J sector's priorities — including those of the Action Committee at this critical juncture — should lie."

- Ashley Major, Strategist, Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters

"In British Columbia, since 2015, a collaborative network of justice sector stakeholders and those with user experience has developed and grown. Our vision is "a people-centred justice system that improves the well-being of its participants." We have developed six objectives from this vision as well as a Transform the Family Justice System Collaborative to give us tangible areas in which to make and measure change in terms of access to civil and family justice. We look forward to sharing our successes and challenges with those from across Canada through a webinar on legal needs and responsive innovations during Access to Justice Week."

- Tina Parbhakar, Strategic Coordinator, Access to Justice BC (A2JBC)

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Website: https://www.justicedevelopmentgoals.ca/ 
Link to A2J events: https://www.justicedevelopmentgoals.ca/events

SOURCE Law Society of Ontario

Media contacts: Ontario: Cristina MacKenzie, Communications Advisor, External Relations and Communications, [email protected]; Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters: Ashley Major, Strategist, [email protected]; British Columbia: Tina Parbhakar, LLB, MPA (she, her), Strategic Coordinator, Access to Justice BC (A2JBC), 604-764-0377, [email protected]; Manitoba: Natasha Brown, Access to Justice Coordinator, Natasha Brown [email protected], 204-480-1018; Saskatchewan: Brea Lowenberger, BA, JD, LLM (she/her), Director, CREATE Justice and Access to Justice Coordinator, University of Saskatchewan, [email protected], 306-966-8635

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Law Society of Ontario