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Update on Access to Justice

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Default photo used for Update on Access to Justice

Last week, I joined about 100 other access to justice champions and leaders from across the country at a colloquium to discuss the recommendations contained in the final report of the National Action Committee (NAC) on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters.

We brought with us a breadth of perspectives: professional, public, private and regional. We talked about concrete steps to take in our respective jurisdictions to implement the recommendations proposed by NAC’s final report. We talked about the need for fundamental change, innovation, and collaboration.

I have mentioned these issues before in this blog. And I will mention them again as our Law Society seeks to address these needs with a new approach to access to justice issues.

As promised, the Treasurer’s Advisory Group on Access to Justice (TAG) Working Group has brought a report to Convocation that, if adopted, would see the development of a framework that would ensure access to justice objectives are fully integrated into the core business and functions of the Law Society. The report recommends we take a hard look at lawyer and paralegal regulation and consider, among other things, the extent to which our rules and regulations themselves create barriers to access to justice.

The report also recommends that the Law Society take heed of the recommendations emerging from NAC and other reports over the past year with regard to collaboration. Collaborative efforts will be critical to systemic and lasting change. And collaborative efforts most often fail for lack of supporting infrastructure. This is why the TAG Working Group has recommended that the Law Society provide that support — facilitative, administrative and otherwise, as necessary.

This is an important first step and a step that has been welcomed by many leaders on these issues in Ontario, many of whom gathered following the colloquium to discuss a path forward in this province, and all of whom were at our TAG Symposium back in October.

I encourage you to read the report of the TAG Working Group. Let us know what you think. And stay tuned — if the report is approved by Convocation on February 27, there will be much more work and activity ahead for which we will need your input, participation and support.